Two sailboats loaded with more than 1,100 kilos of cocaine were intercepted in waters west of the Canary Islands

The two vessels have been boarded by the Special Operations Ship ‘Fulmar’ of the Customs Surveillance Service

The Tax Agency, within the framework of a joint operation with the Civil Guard and the National Police, has intercepted a sailboat named ‘My Love’ in waters west of the Canary Islands that was carrying a load of cocaine. After the boarding by the Special Operations Ship ‘Fulmar’ of the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency, the two crew members, of Spanish nationality, have been arrested. The crew and the sailboat have been transferred to the port of Tenerife to be brought before the courts. Within the framework of another investigation, a second sailboat has been boarded, also with narcotics, so that the amount intervened in the two sailboats adds up to a total of more than 1,100 kilos of cocaine.

Within the framework of the surveillance and prevention actions that are usually carried out, and through the international communication system between the MAOC-N and the CITCO, information is received from the US DEA, with the collaboration of the British NCA, which would indicate that a sailboat called ‘My Love’ could be found near the position of the ship ‘Fulmar’. As a consequence of the foregoing, the Customs Surveillance Service patrolman receives instructions to proceed to request that vessel, which is located and boarded on the afternoon of March 3, some 350 miles from Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

In the vessel ‘My Love’ with the Belgian flag, it could be seen with the naked eye that it was transporting an indeterminate number of bales of those usually used for the transport of cocaine. After having the authorization of the Belgian authorities, they proceeded to board the sailboat, to seize the cocaine that the boat was carrying and to arrest its two crew members, of Spanish nationality.

This operation has been directed and coordinated by the Anti-drug Prosecutor of the National Court and the Central Court of Instruction number 5 of the National Court.

Boarding and towing difficulties

The circumstance arises that the Fulmar ship was immersed in another operation as a result of which a first sailboat that also carried cocaine had been previously intervened, and that it was being towed to the Canary Islands in the framework of a joint investigation of the three police forces, action that remains open.

The conditions of both assaults have been very complicated, due, in the first case, to the sea situation, and in the second, to the handicap of towing the first seized sailboat, which made the maneuvers much more difficult. .

Despite this, the rapid action and experience of the acting SVA agents prevented incidents from occurring and allowed the operation to be successful on one of the few occasions in which a double intervention is carried out in the same naval operation.

Both the detainees, the boats, the drugs and the police proceedings will go to court. These operations are two more of those carried out by the troops dedicated to the repression of drug trafficking against drug trafficking in the so-called ‘Atlantic Route’ of cocaine, known for being used by fishing boats, merchants and, as in this case, sailboats from from South America who intend to introduce the drug into the European continent.