Record seizure of 10 tons of cocaine: the Canary Islands and the Strait at the heart of the drug trade

The investigation reveals meticulous logistics. Departing from waters near Brazil, the cargo ship United S. followed a route up the Atlantic to reach the approaches to the Strait of Gibraltar. This journey involved skirting the entire Moroccan Atlantic coast before reaching the transshipment area.

The traffickers’ plan was to never dock with the "mother ship". The drugs were to be unloaded gradually onto fast boats (narcolanchas) near the strait. These small units were then to reach the province of Huelva, Spain, taking advantage of the geographical complexity and density of maritime traffic between the Moroccan and Spanish coasts.

The intervention was precipitated by a fuel failure of the cargo ship, while it was west of the island of El Hierro. This dilapidated vessel, flying the Cameroonian flag, was making its "last voyage" before being dismantled. The agents of the Special Operations Group (GEO) took advantage of its immobilization to storm it at dawn, discovering the drugs hidden under tons of salt.

Thirteen people were arrested, including seven Indians, four Turks and two Serbs. The latter are suspected of being the "guarantors" of the cargo on behalf of a powerful conglomerate of Balkan cartels. A firearm was also seized on board.

The success of this operation, coordinated by the Spanish anti-drug prosecutor’s office, is based on an international alliance including the American DEA, the British authorities (NCA), the Brazilian authorities and the Lisbon maritime intelligence center (MAOC-N).

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