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Spanish law enforcers have discovered and intercepted a Brazilian-flagged fishing vessel with a large amount of cocaine on board. The ship was detained near Spanish islands on the north-west coast of Africa, Reuters reports.
According to a video released by Spanish authorities, the smugglers were trying to transfer 1.5 tonnes of the banned substance. The cocaine was hidden in a cache in the engine room to disguise it.
After being seized, the vessel was taken to the port of Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria. The fishing boat measures a total length of 25 meters. The name of the vessel, Efesios 5-20, refers to the verse of the same name in the Bible.
According to Spanish police, the vessel was seized in rough seas in bad weather. The arrest was made by a high-speed Condor patrol boat. Six people were detained during the operation, including five Brazilians and one Venezuelan.
Spain serves as a hub for the cocaine trade
Law enforcement officials in Spain have noted that the country is a highly popular transit point for South American cocaine traffickers, who frequently use the Canary Islands as a stopping point.
However, cocaine production is also occurring on the continent. Just recently, in April, law enforcement officers uncovered an organized laboratory engaged in round-the-clock manufacturing of the drug using raw materials from Latin America.
According to police statements, the criminals were producing up to 200 kilograms of cocaine per day. The laboratory in the province of Pontevedra was the largest in Europe. Law enforcement officers apprehended 18 individuals in a special operation and managed to trace a criminal syndicate operating across multiple regions of the country and beyond. The investigation eventually established links between the criminals and Colombian suppliers of raw materials for the drug.