British catamaran carrying 1 million € of cocaine was towed into port in Cádiz

Photo - Interior Ministry

A British catamaran carrying 1 million € of cocaine was towed into port in Cádiz on Tuesday after it was boarded on the high seas in a joint operation by the Spanish National Police and the Agencia Tributaria Tax Authority. 300 kilos of the drug were found on the vessel when it was boarded 200 miles west of Cape St Vincent, Portugal, last Saturday.

It’s understood that the boat was bound for Spain when it was intercepted and that it had been under surveillance since October 11.

Five people were taken into custody: the three crew members who were on board the boat and another two members of the drugs gang, including the leader, who were arrested in Almería province, where the gang was based. 

More than 50,000 € in cash was confiscated in a search of the leader’s home.

The suspects’ nationalities have yet to be confirmed by the police, but Sky News indicates that the boat’s three crew and one of the suspects who were taken into custody in Almería are all British. The fifth suspect is identified as a Colombian man with British documentation.

Spanish officers were assisted in their investigation by the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Guardia Nacional in Venezuela.