Cocaine Trafficking: A Ship Intercepted with 3 Tons on Board Thanks to a Large International Operation

The Spanish customs surveillance service, in collaboration with the Civil Guard and several international partners, including Morocco, intercepted a tugboat named Sky White on Wednesday, carrying nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine hidden on board. The seizure occurred in international waters west of the Canary Islands.

The operation, coordinated by the Deputy Directorate for Customs Surveillance (DAVA), mobilized multiple agencies involved in drug trafficking prevention, including police services from Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Portugal. It also received support from the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC-N) and the Intelligence Centre for Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO).

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

Thanks to international coordination, a boarding operation was deployed from a Spanish military vessel. Upon boarding the Sky White, authorities discovered approximately 80 bales of cocaine concealed within the ship’s own structure, which was in an advanced state of deterioration, posing a significant safety risk to 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 vessel was escorted to Tenerife for the unloading of the drugs and the provisional detention of the suspects. Authorities hailed the success of this operation as a prime example of the effectiveness of cooperation among national, European, and international bodies in combating organized crime.