The Portuguese man was detained after he was intercepted on a sailing ship carrying eight bales of approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine each on the high seas off the Canary Islands, Spanish police sources said this Friday.
A joint operation between the Guardia Civil and the Spanish National Police allowed the interception of this Venezuelan-flagged sailboat west of the Canary Islands, according to sources associated with the process, cited by Europa Press.
The sailboat was discovered despite the geolocation system being turned off, which raised suspicions among investigators.
Following the interception, Spanish authorities discovered that there was only one crew member of Portuguese nationality on board, who was carrying eight bales of cocaine, each weighing approximately 30 kilograms.
The drugs and the detainee were transferred to the Customs Surveillance Service patrol vessel Burevestnik, which is heading to the port of Vigo in Galicia.
When a towing operation was carried out to deliver the sailing ship to Tenerife, it sank, so the customs inspection vessel headed towards the coast of Galicia, where it has its base.