In the early morning of February 3rd, 2024, the Spanish Navy, in a joint operation by the Civil Guard, National Police and the Customs Surveillance Service, intercepted a sailing vessel carrying 157kg of cocaine in the waters near Cape Verde.
The 19-meter, Polish-flagged sloop had departed South America and was apparently en route to the Canary Islands with two crew members on board, who were later taken into custody by the competent authorities.
At first inspection, the search result was negative. However, during a second inspection at port, a hidden compartment was located inside the vessel, where the cocaine was being stored.
This successful operation was possible through extensive international cooperation between the aforementioned Spanish law enforcement agencies, the OFAST from France, the National Crime Agency from the UK and the US Drugs Enforcement Administration (DEA), supported by MAOC-N.
