Four Tonnes of Cocaine Seized from Tugboat in Mid-Atlantic Sting
In a major international bust, authorities have confiscated nearly four tonnes of cocaine from a tugboat caught mid-Atlantic. Acting on intelligence from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Spanish officials intercepted the vessel Thoran on October 1, roughly 400 miles off the Spanish coast between Madeira and the Azores.
Hidden Haul Found Under Galley Floor
After a thorough search, officers uncovered 165 packages of cocaine cleverly concealed beneath the floor of the galley. Each pack weighed about 23 kilos, adding up to a staggering 3,700 kilos of pure cocaine.
Crew Arrested and Ship Docked
The seven crew members onboard—six Turks and one Azerbaijani—were arrested on the spot. The Cormoros-flagged Thoran was towed into the Spanish port of Cadiz on October 6. Experts estimate the drugs could have been worth more than £200 million if sold across Europe after cutting.
International Law Enforcement Collaboration
The operation was a combined effort by the NCA, Spanish Customs (DAVA), Spanish National Police, and the Civil Guard. Coordination was led by the multinational Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC-N) based in Lisbon.
“Seizing this quantity of cocaine represents a major disruption to international crime groups, depriving them of revenue potentially running into the hundreds of millions of pounds,” said Mark Blackwell of the NCA. “We’re working with colleagues in Europe and around the world to disrupt organised criminals in any way we can, and to protect UK and European borders from attempts to smuggle illegal commodities through them.”
