It was reported on 10th September that the Judicial Police, through the National Unit for the Fight against Drug Trafficking (UNCTE), in close coordination with the National Cuerpo Police in Spain, have conducted a joint investigation that led to the location and interception of a fishing boat north of the islands of Farizhoes in Portuguese territory, carrying 1.9 tons cocaine to a Galician criminal organization.
The location and interception of the vessel was undertaken with the support of Air Force and the Portuguese Navy. During the operation five crew members were arrested including four nationals and a foreigner. The drugs are estimated to have a value of around $64 milliion.
Following this intervention of the Judicial Police, the Spanish authorities conducted a police operation in Galicia, Asturias and Madrid, and detained ten men belonging to the above mentioned criminal organization. During the operation eleven searches were conducted and the fishing boat carrying cocaine, a speedboat, about seventy thousand euros in cash, fifty 9 mm cartridges and various telecommunications equipment were seized.
A coordinated research between the Portuguese and Spanish authorities has resulted in the allowed dismantling of one of the most important Galician criminal organizations, which had close ties to Colombian organizations dedicated to the importation of large quantities of cocaine into the Iberian Peninsula in order to supply illegal markets in Europe.
The fifteen detainees, aged between 25 and 75 years, have appeared before the relevant authority, with an application that 12 are remanded in prison custody and the other three under house arrest.
The operation took place on 20th August 2015 but has only just been reported. In the context of combating this type of transnational crime, the Judicial Police have seized in the last three months more than 5 tons of cocaine, four vessels and have detained 27 suspects, which is an important contribution in the context of the global fight against international drug trafficking.