On September 7, 2026, Spanish authorities made a significant drug bust by seizing more than 3 tons of cocaine aboard a vessel near the Canary Islands. The ship had departed from Gibraltar, ostensibly heading towards Morocco, before it lost communication with tracking systems for over 50 days. This incident highlights the alarming maritime routes utilized by Moroccan smuggling networks in the international drug trade.
According to the Spanish news agency EFE, a joint operation involving the national police, civil guard, and customs surveillance department intercepted the tugboat "GT Victory," which was flying the Panamanian flag. The authorities discovered a staggering 3.361 tons of cocaine concealed in 139 packages onboard. Additionally, eight crew members were arrested during the operation.
Reports from the Canary Island platform "Canary An Blino" indicated that the tugboat set sail from Gibraltar on July 13, declaring Morocco as its destination. However, it ceased transmitting signals via the Automatic Identification System (AIS) for more than 50 days before reappearing in the Atlantic Ocean near the Canary Islands. The vessel reportedly employed false data and coordinates to mask its true location, complicating tracking efforts.
Furthermore, the Canary Maritime platform noted that the tugboat was indeed en route to Morocco prior to its disappearance from tracking systems for over seven weeks. Dubbed the "ghost ship," multiple security and intelligence agencies participated in the effort to locate it. Spanish radio station Cadena SER confirmed that the interception of the tugboat off the Canary Islands was conducted with the cooperation of international entities specialized in combating drug trafficking.
As reported by ennaharonline.com.
