Drug-laden speedboats run aground on Sanlúcar beach while fleeing Guardia Civil
Two vessels loaded with drugs ran aground on Bonanza beach as they attempted to escape from a patrol boat. The occupants fled on foot; the substance was taken into custody.
Guadalquivir pursuit ends with cargo stranded on shore
Around nine o'clock on Thursday morning, witnesses walking along Bonanza beach in Sanlúcar de Barrameda witnessed a Guardia Civil patrol boat pursuing at high speed two speedboats navigating upriver along the Guadalquivir, according to Google News ES — Crime (es).
The officers activated stop signals, but the vessels—smaller than the semi-rigid boats commonly used in this type of operation—attempted to flee, grazing past other boats moored in the area.
Cornered and with no possibility of escape, the occupants chose to steer the speedboats towards the shore and run aground on the sand to flee on foot. Guardia Civil officers immediately cordoned off the area and took charge of the drugs found on the beach, pending removal.
So far, it has not been confirmed whether there have been any arrests, nor has the exact quantity of the seized substance been specified.
The characteristics of the vessels suggest, according to available information, that they may have been used for a prior transshipment of the merchandise from a larger vessel, with the aim of facilitating the landing ashore.
The mouth of the Guadalquivir has gained prominence in recent years as an alternative route for drug trafficking, given the increased police pressure in the Strait of Gibraltar. Operations by security forces in the estuary are, according to sector sources, increasingly frequent and cover the entire coastal strip of the area.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)