Morocco is a key partner in thwarting the smuggling of three tons of cocaine near the Canary Islands.
Spanish authorities, in close cooperation with Morocco, managed to intercept a tugboat named “Sky White” carrying approximately three thousand kilograms of cocaine, distributed in 80 different-sized packages, according to the Spanish Directorate of Customs Surveillance.
The operation took place on Wednesday as part of a comprehensive international security collaboration involving Morocco, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Portugal, alongside the intelligence center for combating terrorism and organized crime, as well as the analytical center for drug trafficking in the Atlantic.
Authorities had been tracking the vessel since the summer of 2024 due to suspicions of its involvement in large-scale international smuggling operations. The operation resulted in the detention of five crew members while sailing under the flag of Cameroon.
International investigations confirmed that “Sky White” was supplying smaller ships with cocaine near the Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula, with the support of police forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Portugal.
The ship was intercepted in international waters west of the Canary Islands by a vessel from the Spanish Navy, with the participation of a specialized intervention unit from the Civil Guard. During inspections, drugs were found concealed within the 22-meter-long vessel, which was in poor technical condition, posing a risk to the crew consisting of four individuals from Bangladesh and one from Venezuela, who were arrested for drug trafficking.
The ship was later brought to the port of Tenerife to offload the drugs and detain those arrested for preliminary investigation.
Authorities confirmed that the success of the operation reflects the importance of close cooperation between Morocco, Spanish and French security and customs agencies, and international centers specialized in intelligence sharing to combat organized crime and drug trafficking.
