Guardia Civil, in a joint operation with National Police and Customs Surveillance, intercepted a fishing boat loaded with more than 2,900 kilos of cocaine in waters south of the Canary Islands. The drugs were hidden in one of the vessel’s fuel tanks.
The operation led to the boarding of the ship, a 20-metre fishing vessel, named ‘AKT 1’, on the afternoon of April 13, some 300 nautical miles south of the Canary Islands, bound for Spain.
The operation came about as the result of international collaboration through the exchange of information between the MAOC-N (Atlantic Analysis and Operations Center) and the CITCO (Intelligence Center Against Terrorism and Organized Crime). Based on initial information, investigators from the Customs Surveillance Service, the Guardia Civil and the National Police determined the possible involvement of a vessel suspected of illicit drug trafficking from South America in to Europe.
The crew of the vessel had attempted to camouflage the boat among the usual fishing fleet travelling a route close to a popular sub-Saharan fishing ground. Authorities decided to board the vessel which was very complicated due to hazardous sea conditions and high winds.
The boat was classed as ‘substandard’ boat (vessels that do not meet basic international safety and navigation standards) with an engine in very poor condition. As police were transferring it to port, there was a fire on board which led to an emergency stop in the port of Arguineguín (south of Gran Canaria) to check the status of the fishing vessel before finally heading to Las Palmas.
Five crew members were arrested, four of Turkish nationality and one Georgian citizen.