A merchant ship was intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean that was hiding almost 10 tons of cocaine among a shipment of salt

The Special Operations Group -GEO- boarded the ship last week as it was sailing across the Atlantic Ocean bound for Europe from Brazil

During the operation, 13 people were arrested and the drugs, distributed in 294 bales, were seized, as well as a short firearm used to guard and protect the stash.

This international operation against maritime drug trafficking involved the collaboration of the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre-Narcotics (MAOC), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Brazilian Federal Police, the National Crime Agency (NCA), as well as authorities from France and Portugal.

Spanish National Police officers have carried out the largest cocaine seizure at sea in the history of the force, intercepting a merchant ship that was concealing 9,994 kilograms of cocaine hidden among a shipment of salt. The merchant vessel was boarded in the Atlantic Ocean by GEO (Special Operations Group) officers, who arrested all thirteen crew members and seized a firearm, in addition to the narcotics. The operation involved the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), the Brazilian Federal Police, the CITCO (National Counterterrorism Center), and the MAOC (Military Operational Operations Center).

The investigation, coordinated and directed by the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court and by the Central Court of Instruction number 4, began by focusing on a multinational organization allegedly dedicated to the export of huge quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe. 

Ship adrift for almost 12 hours without fuel

Following an investigation by the National Police, the merchant vessel was located in the Atlantic Ocean. After activating the collaboration mechanism with the Navy, the Special Operations Group (GEO) boarded the vessel and arrested the 13 people on board.

The operation presented major complications. Once the vessel was boarded, the support of the Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR) was required, as the ship ran out of fuel and remained adrift in the water for almost 12 hours, requiring it to be towed to the Canary Islands.

Thanks to this joint effort, the National Police officers located the 9,994 kilos of cocaine distributed in 294 bales hidden among the cargo of tons of salt that the ship was transporting, as well as a firearm used by the members of this criminal network to guard and protect the stash.

Historic blow to maritime cocaine trafficking

This operation, dubbed White Tide, represents the largest cocaine seizure on the high seas ever made by the National Police. Not since 1999, when the Tammsaare vessel was intercepted carrying 7,500 kilos of cocaine in its bow, has an operation of this scale been carried out on the high seas.

This represents a decisive blow to international criminal networks involved in maritime cocaine trafficking, demonstrating the effectiveness of international police cooperation in the fight against global drug trafficking and highlighting, once again, the ability of the National Police to act successfully against criminal organizations with a global reach.