Gibraltar police seize 1,750 litres of illegally stored fuel from Upper Rock cave

Gibraltar

Seizure disrupts drug traffickers' fuel supply and removes fire risk from nature reserve

SUR in English

Officers from the Royal Gibraltar Police have seized a large quantity of illegally stored fuel from a cave complex in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve following an intelligence-led operation on Saturday.

Around 1,750 litres of petrol, contained in 70 plastic containers, were discovered and removed from the site with the assistance of fellow RGP officers, the Gibraltar Fire & Rescue Service and HM Customs. An investigation remains ongoing.

The RGP said the illicit storage of fuel in plastic containers is linked to the logistical supply of vessels used in drug trafficking across the Strait of Gibraltar.

A spokesperson added that as well as denying the fuel to organised crime groups, the seizure had removed a serious safety risk. The containers had been stored recklessly in a confined cave complex during what the RGP described as the current high-risk season, when the threat of fire or explosion in the nature reserve is significantly elevated.

The RGP is appealing for information from anyone who knows of large quantities of fuel being purchased or stored in plastic containers, or who suspects fuel may be stored nearby due to a strong smell. Reports can be made by calling 00 350 200 72500 or via the online reporting portal at www.police.gi/report-online.