Joint operation of the Tax Agency, National Police and Civil Guard

• It was hidden, along with four bales containing the narcotic substance, in the anchor compartment of a Greek-flagged cargo ship that was making a voyage from Colombia to Turkey.
• He intended to carry out the 'drop off' technique, since the bales had geolocation devices attached so that they could be collected by their recipients in Spanish waters.

February 15, 2023.- Customs Surveillance officials of the Tax Agency, in a joint operation with the National Police and Civil Guard, have arrested a stowaway who was transporting four bales with 99 packages of cocaine weighing 109 kilos in the anchor compartment of a cargo ship. The intention was to carry out the 'drop off' technique since each of the bales had geolocation devices attached so that they could be collected by their recipients in Spanish waters.

The first investigations began when, through international cooperation mechanisms, the agents received information from the Greek authorities, reporting the presence of a person on board a merchant ship, specifically inside a difficult-to-access compartment, in the anchor area, with indications of being able to transport drugs.

From Colombia to Türkiye

The merchant ship was scheduled to slow down in the Strait of Gibraltar to refuel, at which point the Spanish authorities verified the veracity of the information received. Once the ship was intercepted and docked, a person was found in the anchor compartment and, next to him, a total of 99 packages of cocaine divided into four bales, for which he was arrested as the alleged perpetrator of a crime against public health.

The investigation determined that the man had accessed the ship by climbing the mooring ropes as it was leaving Colombia, introducing the bales of cocaine with the help of several people whose identity is being investigated.

He intended to use the 'drop off' technique

The agents' investigations allowed them to detect geolocation devices attached to the bales, which were intended to be used to deliver the drugs using the 'drop off' method. In this way, the drugs would be thrown into the sea and later collected by other members of the criminal organization guided by geolocation devices.