Speedboat drug smuggling bust near Morocco and Spain
Pursued by a French military helicopter near the Strait of Gibraltar, the crew of a speedboat dumped 2.4 tonnes of cannabis resin into the ocean. The vessel managed to escape despite warning shots.
The operation took place on July 8 in the Atlantic, near the maritime passage separating Morocco and Spain. The French Navy’s amphibious helicopter carrier Dixmude spotted a vessel deemed suspicious.
On Bladi.net : Morocco: Car chase and gunfire from the Gendarmerie to intercept a truck containing 5 tons of drugs
A Caïman helicopter from the army, embarked on the ship, was immediately sent to meet it. Its crew was to establish contact with the speedboat and order it to stop for inspection.
58 packages abandoned during the escape
When the vessel’s pilot refused to comply, the helicopter fired warning shots, in accordance with the legal framework applicable to this type of intervention. However, this maneuver failed to immobilize the boat, which continued its escape.
To lighten the vessel and avoid seizure, the traffickers then threw their entire cargo into the sea. In total, 58 packages containing 2.4 tonnes of cannabis resin were abandoned.
The Dixmude recovered the packages to prevent traffickers from returning to retrieve them, according to the Atlantic maritime prefecture. The drugs were subsequently destroyed directly on board the military vessel.
On Bladi.net : article 122578
The speedboat’s occupants were not intercepted. However, the substantial cargo they were transporting failed to reach its destination.
