Spanish police make largest-ever marine drugs bust
SPAIN’S largest-ever drugs bust at sea has been made on board a cargoship in the Atlantic following an investigation by the National Police.
Special Operation Group officers boarded Cameroon-flagged cargoship United S (IMO: 7359149) and seized nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine hidden among a shipment of salt.
They arrested 13 people and seized a firearm too. The operation involved law enforcement agencies from the US, UK and Brazil, as well as Spanish military organisations too.
United S was identified by an investigation into a multinational organisation which allegedly exports cocaine from South America to Europe.
Once the vessel was boarded, it began to drift due to a lack of fuel. The Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR) was required to tow United S to the Canary Islands after the cargoship drifted for 12 hours.
The seizure was the largest-ever drugs find made by Spanish police at sea, and the biggest since 7,500kg of cocaine was found stowed on the Tammsaare in 1999.
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