[ad_1]
The Spanish cops seized Cannabis worth 400 million Euros on a cargo vessel on the high seas. The Irish department of EU’s anti-drugs smuggling unit supervised the investigation and offered crucial intelligence inputs on the smuggling.
It led to the seizure of almost 20 tons of hashish on the ship off Canary Island on Sunday. The ship was on the radar of the officials as soon as it left North Africa.
A special unit of Spanish police carried out the raid and found the haul hidden among the cargo. The crew disguised the ship with a flag of the Pacific island of Palau to avoid detection.
However, police officials successfully tracked down the ship. The heavily armed police officials stormed the Togo-registered tanker Natalia off Fuerteventura using an RHIB inflatable boat. They arrested eleven individuals from Syria during the operation.
After their successful raid, the Spanish police displayed the hash in the Spanish port of Las Palmas. According to the investigators, the hash was transporting to Western Europe, including Ireland.
Image Credits: Policia Nacional – Twitter
Mr O’Sullivan, famous for arresting drug kingpins like Christy “the Dapper Don” Kinahan for cocaine in the past, confirmed that gardai and Irish customs officers carried the investigation.
He further stated that “The drug haul occurred after several thorough investigations and intel information from the Irish desk at MAOC-N about a suspected drug trafficking by the cargo vessel Natalia.
The Spanish officials hauled the vessel on August 8. The drug haul is a massive blow to the transnational operation crime group and also shows the advantages of international law enforcement cooperation.”
The weekend seizure of hashish occurs right after Irish investigators uncovering the cocaine smuggle plot worth 34 million Euros. The Customs and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau investigators found cocaine smuggled in disguise as charcoal.
This year so far, the MAOC led investigations have intercepted 21 vessels with drugs onboard.
Reference: policia.es
Marine Insight does not own the rights of the video.
Watch: Cargo Vessel Carrying Drugs Worth 400 Million Euros Busted appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide
[ad_2]
This article has been posted as is from Source