Improving resources to fight drug trafficking

• The Tax Agency's air fleet now has four helicopters, to which a fifth will be added, the acquisition of which is contemplated in the 2022 PGE
• The helicopter 'christened' today is a modernized version of the AS365 existing in the fleet, with updated avionics and navigation equipment and a fully digital mission console designed and manufactured in Spain.
• The SVA fleet, with nearly 2,400 flight hours per year, carries out basic work in the fight against drug trafficking, both in terms of surveillance and control, and actively participating in interventions at sea in areas of special sensitivity such as the Strait of Gibraltar, the Galician estuaries and the Mediterranean.
• The minister recalled that the fight against fraud, evasion and money laundering is one of the Government's priorities and anticipated the positive results of the 2021 balance of the activity of the Customs Surveillance Service.

January 21, 2022 .- The Minister of Finance and Public Administration, María Jesús Montero, chaired today in Seville the delivery ceremony of the new helicopter of the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency. The new device is a modernised version of the AS365 already in the Customs fleet, with updated equipment and a digital mission system designed and manufactured in Spain. The Minister of Finance and Public Administration has highlighted the importance of this fact: "I think it is a clear example that speaks highly of our country's leadership in such a competitive and specialized sector," Montero said.

With this acquisition, the Customs Surveillance fleet has four helicopters, to which a fifth aircraft will be added, the acquisition of which is planned in the 2022 General State Budget.

The helicopter was handed over this morning during an event held at the Airbus facilities in Seville, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Public Administration, María Jesús Montero, and attended by the Government delegate in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández; the mayor of Seville, Antonio Muñoz; Secretary of State for Finance, Héctor Izquierdo; the Director General of the Tax Agency, Jesús Gascón, and representatives of the Customs Department and the Special Delegation of the AEAT in Andalusia, as well as the manufacturer of the device.

The new helicopter, now ready to enter service, features more modern avionics and navigation equipment than the existing fleet, as well as a fully digital mission console that has been designed and manufactured in Spain. This digital system allows the operator to control the monitor, radar, thermal camera and tactical and satellite communications more intuitively and efficiently.

The AS365 N3+, measuring 13.7 metres in length, with a cruising speed of 148 knots, a flight autonomy of over four hours and a range of 427 nautical miles, has been configured for maritime patrol, with emergency buoyancy as well as the corresponding localisation and search systems.

New investments

With this addition, the Customs and Excise Department of the Tax Agency is moving forward with its strategy to renew its air fleet, which it plans to expand based on the new investments proposed in the 2022 General State Budget.

María Jesús Montero has announced that the Customs Surveillance fleet, in addition to being reinforced with a fifth helicopter of the same category as the one delivered this Friday, will also add five new vessels: four interceptors and a patrol car. This represents a total investment of 24 million euros so that the Customs and Excise Department has the most modern means to carry out its functions: to pursue criminal practices that erode coexistence and the Welfare State; combat the scourge of drug trafficking in vital terms and at a socio-economic level; and help build a more just society.

The Minister also listed the additional efforts being made to strengthen information gathering mechanisms, strengthen maritime intelligence offices, redefine investigation strategies for smuggling and money laundering, and intensify collaboration with other police and customs services, both national and international.

Customs Surveillance Air Fleet

The air fleet of the Tax Agency's Customs Surveillance Service flies nearly 2,400 hours a year, carrying out basic work in the fight against drug trafficking, both in terms of surveillance and control of the Spanish coasts and jurisdictional waters, and actively participating in interventions at sea in areas of special sensitivity such as the Strait of Gibraltar, the Galician estuaries, the 'Eastern Mediterranean Route' or the Ibiza Channel.

Helicopters are the main means of carrying out most interventions in maritime border areas, allowing early detection of targets up to a hundred miles from the coast. They thus guide the overall planning of the naval fleet's services, which are rescheduled daily based on the results of each flight, and form an essential part of operational execution by supporting patrol boats in operations and boardings at sea.

The air surveillance service is structured around three fixed bases located in Algeciras (the main one, with the highest level of activity and whose operation is considered critical due to the role played by the Strait of Gibraltar and Campo de Gibraltar in the fight against drug trafficking), Almería and Vigo, bases through which the aircraft rotate based on both operational and maintenance criteria.

From these bases, and depending on operational needs, helicopters carry out specific deployments where the participation of an aerial vehicle is vital for the development of the operation.

2021 Review

The Minister of Finance and Public Administration has stressed that the fight against fraud, tax evasion and money laundering is a priority objective of the Government and has recalled measures such as the prohibition of the use of drug boats, the approval of the Law on the fight against fraud, as well as component 27 of the Recovery Plan, dedicated entirely to this matter and which includes actions for the prevention and fight against fraud, smuggling, drug trafficking and related economic crimes.

Montero has provided some provisional figures for the 2021 balance sheet in terms of the fight against fraud by the Customs Surveillance Service: Last year, 167 tons of hashish and 32 tons of cocaine were seized, which represents an 8% increase in both compared to the results of 2020. The minister described this result as “positive” and expressed her gratitude for the work carried out by the 2,000 officials from the different bodies and specialties of the Customs Surveillance Service, in collaboration with the police forces and the judiciary.