Storm Rescue Leads to Massive Drug Haul in Strait of Gibraltar
A 49-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman were arrested on 10 December after their sailing boat ran into trouble during a fierce storm in the Strait of Gibraltar. What started as a rescue operation quickly turned into a major drugs bust.
Spanish Authorities Intercept Smugglers
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), working with the Lisbon-based Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre for Narcotics (MAOC-N), tipped off Spanish authorities about the suspicious vessel. It was suspected of smuggling drugs all the way from Morocco.
Spanish customs patrol boats intercepted and escorted the boat into Cadiz port. There, customs officers and the Spanish National Police searched the vessel and uncovered a huge haul — 130 bales of cannabis resin.
Perpetrators in Custody as Probe Continues
Both suspects remain in custody in Spain as investigations roll on. The details of the seizure have only just been made public by Spanish police.
Steve Reynolds, NCA International Regional Manager, said: “This was an international operation which led to a substantial seizure of narcotics. We suspected the vessel was being used to ship drugs across the Atlantic, so the NCA worked closely with MAOC-N and our colleagues in Spain to have it intercepted. Working with our law enforcement partners we are determined to do all we can to target and disrupt the organised crime networks involved in the international drugs trade.”
