A joint operation by the Tax Agency and the Guardia Civil

• The captains of both boats, who pretended to be engaged in sport fishing, were arrested

July 28, 2022.- Customs Surveillance Officers of the Tax Agency in Huelva together with Civil Guards of Citizen Security OCON-SUR have intervened in Isla Cristina (Huelva) two recreational boats that were hiding almost two tons of hashish in double bottoms. In the same operation, two people who were captains of the sports boats and who were simulating sport fishing activities were arrested.

The control established by the Tax Agency and the Civil Guard over drug trafficking using the sea route led to suspicions that the real activity of the vessels was quite different. For this reason, the corresponding operation was established, leading the vessels to port, to subject them to anchoring.

Double bottoms

Upon inspection at the port, the existence of double bottoms was observed in both vessels, in which 1,959 kilos of hashish were discovered in packages of different sizes and shapes, adapted for transport in hidden spaces.

These double bottoms are built by altering the structure of the boat; opening access gaps that are hidden with existing fixed elements, or installed specifically for this purpose.

The searches led to the arrest of the two crew members, who are accused of a crime against public health, and the seizure of the two boats and an all-terrain vehicle that they were going to use to get them out of the water.

The detainees, along with the seized merchandise, boats, vehicle and other effects, have been placed at the disposal of the judicial authority.