Operations against tobacco smuggling

• Both operations involved maritime, air and land resources from the Customs Surveillance Service based in Campo de Gibraltar.
• Four vehicles were also seized in which the tobacco was to be transported.

April 20, 2023.- Customs Surveillance officials from the Tax Agency have carried out two operations in the Bay of Algeciras in which 15,000 packets of contraband tobacco have been seized and 18 people related to the events have been arrested. The four vehicles that were supposed to transport the tobacco were also seized as part of the operations. Both operations involved maritime, air and land resources from the Customs Surveillance Service based in Campo de Gibraltar. The gender, the actions and the detainees have been made available to the head of the Algeciras court on duty.

In the early hours of April 4, the Customs Surveillance patrol boats 'Águila II' and 'Fénix V', together with the helicopter 'Argos I', based in Campo de Gibraltar, began the pursuit of a target suspected of carrying out illegal activities, after being detected sailing without lights in the waters of the Bay of Algeciras.

The boat turned out to be a small inflatable boat of the type commonly used to smuggle tobacco from Gibraltar.

The officers on the patrol boats and in the helicopter, together with other Customs Surveillance officers who formed part of the ground operation and who had been deployed in the vicinity, managed to surround the stash area, the beach of El Rinconcillo (Algeciras).

5,000 packs in the first intervention

There they managed to seize a total of 5,000 packets of contraband tobacco and proceeded to arrest the 'colla' that was attempting to unload the tobacco and which consisted of eleven individuals. In addition, four vehicles were seized which were intended to transport the contraband tobacco.

During the waiting time on the beach and until the operation was concluded, National Police officers were available to guard the detainees, who were later taken to the maritime base by Customs Surveillance officials, along with the seized merchandise.

Second intervention with seven arrests and 10,000 packets

Thirteen days later, in the early hours of April 17, the Tax Agency patrol boat 'Águila II' proceeded to pursue a target detected sailing without lights, also in the waters of the Bay of Algeciras.

The small inflatable boat sought refuge in the dock of the El Saladillo marina.

Customs Surveillance officers on board the patrol boat, together with other officers providing support on land, found the vessel, abandoned by its crew, and proceeded to intervene, as well as seize the 10,000 packets of tobacco it was carrying.

In the subsequent search of the marina, in which National Police officers participated, a total of seven people were arrested and investigated for the reported events.

The gender, the actions and the detainees have been made available to the head of the Algeciras court on duty.