Cocaine Trafficking: Ship Intercepted with 3 Tons Onboard Thanks to a Major International Operation

Spanish Customs Authorities Intercept Nearly 3,000 Kilos of Cocaine Aboard Tugboat

On Wednesday, the Spanish Customs Surveillance Service, in collaboration with the Civil Guard and several international partners—including Morocco—intercepted a tugboat named Sky White, which was carrying nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine hidden on board. The interception took place in international waters west of the Canary Islands.

The operation was coordinated by the Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance (DAVA) and involved multiple agencies focused on combating drug trafficking, including police forces from Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Portugal. Support also came from the Atlantic Drug Trafficking Analysis Center (MAOC-N) and the Intelligence Center for Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO).

The Sky White, a 22-meter tugboat flying the Cameroonian flag, had been under suspicion since the summer of 2024 due to its involvement in international drug trafficking. Used as a supply vessel, it was purportedly employed to transfer drugs to smaller boats operating near the Canary Islands or the Iberian Peninsula.

Thanks to international coordination, a boarding operation was launched from a Spanish military vessel. Authorities discovered around 80 bales of cocaine concealed within the very structure of the Sky White, which was in a state of advanced deterioration, posing a significant risk to the safety of the crew.

Five individuals were arrested: four from Bangladesh and one from Venezuela. They are suspected of being involved in large-scale drug trafficking.

The ship was escorted to Tenerife for the unloading of the drugs and the detention of the suspects. Authorities hailed the success of this operation as a prime example of effective cooperation among national, European, and international bodies in the fight against organized crime.