The Guardia Civil has arrested three people, two of them employees at the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, accused of trafficking 72 kilos of cocaine concealed in the hulls of ships used to supply merchant vessels.
According to a statement released by the Guardia Civil, the operation resulted in the seizure of 72 kilos of cocaine: 50 kilos were found hidden inside a large suitcase on board a port ship that is used to supply anchored merchant vessels, while another 22 kilos were discovered in a bag concealed within the water intake grilles of a different vessel that had recently been serviced by the same crew.
The detainees include two men and one woman. The initial drug find took place during an inspection carried out by officers from the provincial maritime service on a supply vessel anchored in the port of Las Palmas, already under suspicion for potential involvement in illicit activities.
On board this vessel, where the 50 kilos of cocaine were hidden, were three crew members: the captain, a sailor, and a third person who was not officially registered as part of the crew.
Specialists from the GEAS (Special Group for Underwater Activities) of the Guardia Civil subsequently inspected another ship that had recently received supplies from the suspect vessel. There, they found an additional 22 kilos of cocaine stashed inside the seawater intake grilles.
The three detainees, along with the case files, were brought before the Number Two Investigating Court of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which has ordered their provisional imprisonment while the investigation continues.
This latest operation highlights the continued vigilance of Spanish authorities in combating drug trafficking across maritime routes in the Canary Islands, a strategic point for international shipping.
