Customs capture another huge haul

In what is now becoming a common occurrence out in the Alboran Sea off the coast of Almeria, another huge drugs haul has been discovered.

Agents of the Inland Revenue intercepted an Egyptian fishing boat with around 13 tonnes of hashish on board.

The operation, code-named ‘Otero’, has led to the arrest of eight sailors who were on board the boat.

Since June 2013, this Mediterranean route to the Far East has seen more than 60 tonnes of hashish intercepted in eight different operations.

The vessel was intercepted about 60 miles south east of the Cabo de Gata, Almeria.

The operation began when a Customs Surveillance flight and French Customs detected a suspicious fishing boat some 20 to 25 nautical miles south of Almeria City.

The boat was not flying a flag and had inscriptions in Arabic characters on the bow.

This new route has been very active in recent months with boats loading up in Moroccan waters and sometimes in the Atlantic.