Fight against drug trafficking

• 108 bales of hashish were seized from the semi-rigid boat and four people were arrested
• The boat tried to escape by performing risky maneuvers that caused two of its crew members to fall into the water, who were rescued by the officials.
• In another operation in the Strait, 600 more kilos of hashish have been seized after a new chase at sea

April 14, 2023.- Customs Surveillance officials from the Tax Agency, aboard a patrol boat based in Almería, have seized almost four tons of hashish distributed in 108 bales after chasing a 'narco-boat' in the Alboran Sea off the coast of Adra (Almería), and have arrested four people.

The operation took place on April 3, when a Customs Surveillance patrol boat detected the presence of two vessels heading towards the coast of Almería, so a maritime interception and land support operation was established.

Once visual contact was made, the boats began a rapid escape, with one of the boats managing to escape. The other semi-rigid boat, also trying to escape, carried out risky manoeuvres that endangered the safety of its crew, resulting in two of them falling into the water. While they were trying to rescue him, the members of the patrol boat managed to board the smuggling boat.

The vessel seized is a 14-metre-long semi-rigid inflatable boat with three 300 HP engines each, of the type normally used for hashish trafficking. Inside were 108 burlap bales containing hashish resin weighing 3,915 kilos; 42 canisters of gasoline that he was transporting for his supplies were also seized.

Its four crew members, two of Spanish nationality and two of Moroccan nationality, were arrested and, together with the boat, merchandise and seized effects, were placed at the disposal of the Court of Instruction No. 2 of Berja, acting as duty court.

600 kilos of hashish in another operation in the Strait

In another operation carried out in the early hours of April 9, Customs Surveillance officials seized 600 kilos of hashish after a chase in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar of a semi-rigid boat that was sailing without lights. The Águila II and Fénix V patrol boats of the Customs Surveillance Department pursued the drug boat, forcing its crew to flee back to the African coast and to throw a large part of the drugs they were transporting into the sea in order to escape. A total of 18 bales of hashish weighing 646 kilos were recovered.

These operations are part of the control actions carried out by the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency on sensitive goods that are intended to be illegally introduced into the territory of the European Union.