Spain’s Guardia Civil said that officers seized a total of 3,360 kilograms of cocaine in 139 packages in the south of Gran Canaria after intercepting a rigid inflatable boat (RIB). The go-fast boat, which was equipped with multiple high-powered engines, was operating about 70 miles south of the Canary Islands when it was spotted. Officers from the Maritime Service proceeded to intercept the boat, which quickly fled. Despite the suspect vessel's evasive maneuvers, they caught up with it and captured the operators. 

The interception of the high-powered RIB boat - a vessel class that Spanish traffickers prefer for retrieving drugs from mother ships on the high seas - led to the cocaine seizure and arrest of five crew members. The suspects were armed with an assault rifle and a light machine gun, ostensibly to prevent assaults by other criminal groups.

“The five face crimes against public health for drug trafficking, serious disobedience, illegal possession of weapons and membership of a criminal organization,” said the Civil Guard in a statement.

The Gran Canaria seizure is the latest in a series of high value cocaine busts off the Canary Islands. Authorities say that this region has become part of a wider “cocaine highway” that Latin American criminal networks use to move drugs into Europe. These logistics networks depend on complex at-sea transfers designed to avoid major European seaports and escape detection.    Bottom of Form

In May, the Spanish police executed one of the largest maritime drug busts in recent history after intercepting a cargo ship near the Canary Islands. It was loaded with 45 tonnes of cocaine valued at over $812 million. The cargo was intended to be offloaded onto speedboats before reaching mainland Spain.   A month later, the Spanish National Police dismantled a major criminal network with the arrest of 48 people believed to be responsible for receiving and distributing cocaine shipments originating in Colombia and Brazil. The network is said to have been operating with 11 high-speed boats for drug pickups at sea. Authorities also seized 3.8 tonnes of cocaine, 69 vehicles, 19 boats and jet skis as well as properties, bank accounts, firearms and other equipment linked to maritime drug trafficking.