Operation ‘Éufrates’ against drug trafficking

• The drugs are believed to be worth around 11 million euros.
• The operation ended with the arrest of the six crew members of the boat, all of them Syrian nationals.
• During the return trip to port, the double bottom where the drugs were hidden was discovered, close to the bow of the ship.

 

May 13, 2015.- The Tax Agency has intercepted about 60 nautical miles southeast of Cabo de Gata (Almería) a merchant ship flying the flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, named 'San Trela', which was carrying an estimated quantity of 5,000 kilos of hashish, previously unloaded from a pneumatic boat. The value of the drugs is estimated to be around 11 million euros. The figure is provisional, pending an intensive search of the ship that is being carried out this morning by Customs Surveillance in the port of Almería, under the control of the judicial authority.

With this operation, called 'Euphrates', there are now 13 seizures of large quantities of hashish made by the Tax Agency on the 'Eastern Mediterranean Route' since May 2013, with a total of more than 115 tons of drugs seized.

The operation that led to the arrest began when aerial means of Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency detected this merchant vessel, 69 metres in length, sailing in an area not usual for a vessel of these characteristics and, alongside the ship, a semi-rigid boat that was carrying, using the crane carried by the merchant, the transfer of bales from one vessel to another.

Once the appropriate air-naval device was established, composed of the patrol boats 'Décimo Aniversario' and 'Alca', based in Málaga and Almería respectively, together with air resources from the Tax Agency, and once the Authorization of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was obtained, they headed to the area to try to locate and board the merchant ship.

Upon taking control of the ship early yesterday morning, the six crew members of the vessel were arrested, as well as the vessel's seizure and subsequent transfer to the port of Almería.  During the journey, the double bottom where the drugs were hidden was discovered near the bow of the ship.

The detainees, all of Syrian nationality, the ship and the drugs will soon be brought before the on-duty court of Almería.

Open route

This new operation confirms the importance of this new route opened for hashish trafficking, known as the 'Eastern Mediterranean'. In the last year and a half, Italy, France and Spain have seized the following vessels: 'Adam', 'Gold Star', 'Luna-S', 'Moon Light', 'Avenir de Safi II', an unnamed Egyptian fishing boat, the 'Berk Kaptan', 'Al Amir Khaled', 'Abou de Sherief', 'La Misericordia de Dios', 'Mayak', 'Assel', 'Aberdeen', 'Just Noran', 'Zakmar', 'Eiskos', 'Rinad', 'Santa Rita Terzia' and 'Mehtap' (13 of which were carried out by the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency).

All of these vessels were carrying quantities of up to 30 tons of hashish. In an attempt to control this new trend in the traffic of hashish, the Customs Department of the Tax Agency has set up surveillance in the area to detect similar patterns of transport. The result of this tactic is this latest seizure.

Investigators suspect that the Eastern Mediterranean route is being used by organizations located in northern African countries, which are transporting large amounts of hashish in trade or fishing vessels, and storing it in these countries. Using these vessels, the drugs would later be redistributed towards Europe, without ruling out that, in some cases, they could be used as mother ships to transfer the hashish to other smaller vessels, which would introduce it directly to the Spanish, French or Italian coasts.

Drug trafficking organizations adapt quickly to new scenarios, being very agile in assuming any change in strategy. Control over the Eastern Mediterranean route and this type of vessel is complex. These are trade vessels usually transport legal freight but, after setting sail, they take on board large quantities of hashish during a short technical stop with a view to transporting it to the eastern Mediterranean countries, where the drug is stored for its later transfer to Europe.