Narco-boat with 4,000 kilos of hashish intercepted in dangerous chase 42 miles from Punta Umbria

Crime

Four people have been arrested in the operation carried out by the Guardia Civil

Antonio R. Vega

The Guardia Civil has dealt another blow to the drug trafficking mafias on the Andalusian coast in a preventative surveillance operation, the agents arrested four ... individuals and seixed 4,000 kils od hashish that was being transòrted in a high-speed boat 42 miles off the coast of Punta Umbria (Huelva).

The intervention began when the patrols of the armed institute detected a suspicious vessel sailing without positioning systems or lights, a common practice to try to go unnoticed in the dark. On approaching, the agents’ suspicions were confirmed. It was a semi-rigid vessel equipped with four high-powered engines, loaded to the brim with traditional burlap bales.

After realising that they had been spotted, the crew made a desperate escape. During the pursuit, the drug boat made highly dangerous manoeuvres, putting not only their own lives at risk, but also those of the officers involved. In an attempt to gain speed and destroy evidence, the suspects began to throw bales of drugs and bottles of fuel into the sea.

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Hundreds of drug packages

After the chase, the Guardia Civil agents managed to board the vessel and detain its occupants. After the official count, the merchandise amounted to 100 bales, totalling four tonnes of hashish.

After appearing before central investigating Court No. 1 of the National High Court, the judge on duty ordered the immediate detention of the four individuals involved.