فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
In a major security operation, Spanish authorities announced on Wednesday the seizure of a massive 3-tonne shipment of cocaine from a vessel off the coast of the Canary Islands. This achievement is a severe blow to an international drug trafficking network and reflects the success of security cooperation between Morocco and Spain.
The interception of the vessel “Sky White” was the result of active international cooperation, in which Moroccan authorities played a decisive role. The joint units managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle approximately 3,000 kilograms of cocaine destined for the European market.
Details of the Operation and Arrests
The operation was carried out by Spain’s Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Service, leading to the arrest of five individuals on board the vessel, which was flying the Cameroonian flag. The suspects were identified as four Bangladeshi nationals and one Venezuelan.
According to an official statement from the Spanish Civil Guard, this major security blow is the result of a joint investigation initiated by Moroccan security services and France’s National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations (DNRED). Since the summer of 2024, the vessel had been under suspicion of being used for large-scale international drug trafficking.
Inside.. Dakhla Port as a Logistics Hub for the Network
Investigations revealed that the trafficking network was using Morocco’s Port of Dakhla as a strategic launch point for its operations to evade the surveillance of European authorities. From this port, the “Sky White” would cross the Atlantic several times a year, returning loaded with cocaine bound for European markets.
Spanish authorities clarified that the vessel acted as a “mothership,” responsible for delivering narcotics to smaller boats in areas near the Canary Islands or the Iberian Peninsula.
Widespread International Cooperation
The operation was not limited to Morocco, Spain, and France; it also involved other international security agencies. The investigation received support from the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Portugal’s Judicial Police. These efforts were coordinated by the Intelligence Center against Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO) and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Center – Narcotics (MAOC-N).
The Raid and Seizure
The raid was executed in international waters west of the Canary Islands, with support from the Spanish Armed Forces and a special intervention unit of the Civil Guard. The drugs, which were divided into 80 bales, were offloaded in Tenerife, where the suspects were handed over to the judiciary.
A Blow to the “Atlantic Route”
This operation is part of the ongoing fight against drug trafficking along the “Atlantic Route,” one of the major axes of the drug trade connecting South America and the Caribbean to Europe.
In concluding its statement, the Spanish authorities praised the effectiveness of international cooperation, highlighting the “central role” played by Moroccan security services in dismantling this criminal network. This reinforces Morocco’s status as a key and reliable partner in combating cross-border organized crime.
