The Tax Agency seizes five tons of hashish in a special operation to reinforce surveillance in the Strait of Gibraltar

Operation 'Marchoco'

• In the space of a week, 24 crews of the Customs Surveillance Service spread across the 14 patrol boats stationed in Andalusia have carried out 12 chases, located and monitored 21 'narco-boats' and seized two of them, forcing the rest to throw their cargo into the sea and give up their attempts to stash it.

• The operation has received satellite support with cutting-edge resources and has had the backing of two helicopters and the support of the Special Operations Vessel 'Fulmar' of the Tax Agency as a mobile station.

June 23, 2022.- The Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency has seized five tons of hashish in several operations carried out over the course of a week on semi-rigid vessels in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea. The actions, included in the framework of the special operation called 'Marchoco', to reinforce surveillance in the area, have been developed in execution of what is provided for in the general control guidelines of the Agency for 2022, which establishes maritime surveillance as a priority for the fight against hashish trafficking from North Africa.

The operation, which took place during the first week of June, involved a large deployment of naval and air resources and is aimed at implementing new procedures to suppress and combat the illegal activities of smuggling mafias in the waters of the Strait and Alboran.

As a result of this operation, 21 'narco-boats' dedicated to transporting large quantities of hashish from Morocco have been located and monitored in international waters, two semi-rigid boats have been seized and more than five tons of hashish have been seized.

Destabilization of the logistics of organizations

Beyond the volume of seizures, the significance of the operation also lies in the intense destabilization of logistics and illicit activity that it has caused in the area, with the air and naval resources of the Customs Surveillance Service carrying out a total of 12 pursuits of 'narco-boats', which were forced to return seeking refuge in Moroccan waters after having to get rid of their merchandise by throwing it into the sea, thus frustrating any possible shipments.

The operation highlighted the actions of the patrol boat 'Colimbo II' on June 6, in coordination with the helicopter 'Argos I', with a coordinated high-speed pursuit of two 'narco-boats' loaded with large quantities of hashish. During this operation, one of the vessels was seized and a total of 150 bales (about 4,000 kilos of hashish) were seized, most of which were thrown into the sea during the chase and recovered by the auxiliary vessels of the ship 'Fulmar'.

Extensive naval deployment

The operation involved 24 crews spread across 14 patrol boats stationed at the maritime bases of the Andalusian Regional Operational Unit. In addition, the 'Fulmar', which left the port of Cadiz at the start of the campaign, has acted as a mobile station at sea for the implementation of new initiatives related to operational tactics. In addition, two Customs Surveillance Service helicopters have participated, stationed at air bases close to critical areas where targets converge in the Alboran area, and greater satellite coverage has been provided with state-of-the-art resources.

Surveillance and control actions have been planned at a strategic level by the Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance. The operation was led by the naval and air authorities of the General Subdirectorate of Operations and the Special Delegation of the Tax Agency in Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla, coordinated through the Permanent Operational Coordination Centre of the Customs Surveillance Service.

This combined action by air and naval resources, reinforced with the support of the SVA Maritime Intelligence Offices, is part of the strategy to combat drug trafficking provided for in the Tax Agency's Annual Tax and Customs Control Plan for 2022.