According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, the Brazilianflagged boat was intercepted off the coast of the Canary Islands.
05/12/2023 21:53, updated 05/12/2023 21:53
A fishing boat flying the Brazilian flag with more than 1.5 tons of cocaine on board was intercepted by Spanish authorities off the coast of the Canary Islands this Friday (December 5). The drug was hidden in a secret compartment in the ship’s engine room.
The Brazilian boat named Efésios 520, 25 meters long, was boarded by a National Police patrol vessel. The crew of the ship, consisting of six people, five Brazilians and one Venezuelan, was arrested by the Spanish authorities.
The boat’s name refers to a passage in the Bible in which the apostle Paul thanks and praises God.
The Interior Ministry shared the moment the ship was intercepted. Cash:
The operation involved the National Police, the Civil Guard and the Tax Agency’s Customs Surveillance Service. According to Spanish authorities, the location where the Brazilian boat was intercepted is along a route known for drug trafficking by fishing vessels originating from South America.
According to the agents, the vessel caught the authorities’ attention because it was very close to shore, since fishing boats normally travel a greater distance.
The crew members have been taken to Las Palmas and are required to provide information to the judiciary through Customs Supervision, the National Police and the Civil Guard.