An alleged drug trafficker died on Saturday around 10.00 pm during a chase between the Guardia Civil and a narcolancha off the coast of Caños de Meca, in Barbate (Cádiz).
The chase began when a Customs Service (SVA) patrol boat spotted a recreational vessel suspected of being involved in drug smuggling. During the chase, the drug boat lost its balance after colliding with the patrol boat. As a result, two passengers fell into the water.
Fateful events
The SVA officers managed to rescue the two occupants from the water and took them to Barbate harbour. It involved a Moroccan without papers and a Spaniard with a criminal record for drug trafficking. Unfortunately, the Moroccan passenger suffered cardiac arrest during transport and died despite resuscitation attempts. The other alleged drug trafficker suffered injuries and was arrested. Following the incident, the SVA seized the vessel involved and four bags of hashish, the exact quantity of which has yet to be determined.
According to Customs sources, the Customs patrol boat was alerted by a helicopter to the presence of a “recreational boat, with a powerful engine” in the area. This immediately led the authorities to suspect that the passengers were involved in drug trafficking. After the boat was located, a chase began during which “several clashes” took place, according to Andalucia government delegate Pedro Fernández.
Previous incidents
The case is reminiscent of the dramatic incident in February when two Civil Guard officers were killed in the port of Barbate. Their patrol boat was rammed by a narco speedboat. According to insiders within the force, drug smugglers’ boats have free rein in the ports of the province of Cádiz. The Guardia Civil is said to have insufficient material resources to tackle the rampant drug trade in the area. More than a week before the deaths of the Guardia Civil officers, a man died after his narco speedboat collided with a Guardia Civil patrol boat. The incident happened near the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, also in the province of Cádiz.