Drug traffickers intercepted in Javea

A GUARDIA Civil maritime patrol intercepted a boat fleeing Javea port, seizing a huge stash of hashish in backpacks. Crew members frantically began throwing the illicit cargo into the sea as narcotics agents jetted towards them.

The boat, named Zalvamar, was on its way to Santa Eulalia port in Ibiza with roughly 40 kilos of hash on board. It had been moored at Javea port for three days as the three man crew smuggled the drugs aboard.

Police had, however, been monitoring CCTV footage of the port and had seen the men clambouring aboard the Zalvmar with heavy backpacks in the wee hours of the morning.

Suspicious, they waited until the boat departed on Sunday February 26 before making their move. Highly trained agents accompanied by sniffer dogs stormed aboard the boat in Javea seas checking for camouflaged compartments while divers recovered the sinking hashish.

The Costa Blanca North – Balearic route is extremely popular among drug traffickers and the seas heavily monitored. In January 62 kilos of cocaine washed up on the beaches of Denia and Javea having been thrown overboard by traffickers.