They intercept a fishing boat with more than 4,000 kilos of cocaine about 500 miles west of the Canary Islands

The National Police has seized more than 4,000 kilos of cocaine in a Panamanian-flagged fishing boat west of the Canary coast, distributed in 100 bales of about 40 kilos each that were expected to be landed in the Rías Baixas (Galicia).

In addition, the 15 crew members of the ship, intercepted 500 miles (900 kilometers) west of the Canary Islands, have been arrested, and which attracted attention for its suspicious activity since it had been previously sanctioned by the Panamanian authorities for committing serious infractions and his fishing license had been revoked.

The investigation began in early November when the North American agency Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) warned that a criminal organization could carry out the transfer of a large amount of cocaine between two vessels on the high seas.

The fishing vessel, suspected due to the sanctions imposed by Panama, had also been monitored by agents of the National Police in the Port of Vigo, since its activities were framed as suspected of being linked to drug trafficking.

With all the information available, an operation was initiated, under the direction of the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court and the support of the Spanish Navy, to try to locate the fishing vessel that was located in Atlantic waters, 500 miles west of the Canary Islands. .

With the support of the Atalaya ship of the Spanish Navy, on November 12, GEO agents together with one of the investigators boarded the suspicious vessel and arrested the 15 members of the crew and seized one hundred bales of cocaine weighing approximately 4,000 kilograms.