Spanish police on Thursday seized 4,350 kilograms (4.8 tonnes) of cocaine from a ship 500 miles south of the Canary Islands.
Four people from Spain, Romania, Morocco and Moldova were detained, spokesperson said. The Spaniard was a known drug trafficker from Galicia.
Police officers discovered the small inflatable boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean thanks to co-operation with international partners including the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and the UK Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
After receiving information about a suspicious vessel travelling from South America, Spanish authorities used an aerial device to identify it. When police travelled to the site, they immediately found bricks containing cocaine.
Police did not rule out the possibility of other arrests, as they said this type of vessel needed to obtain supplies from other vessels to complete its long journey.
Last Friday, two Spanish police officers were killed when a speedboat carrying drugs in the area rammed their patrol boat.
Spain is a major point of entry for drugs into Europe, partly because of its close ties with Latin America, a source of cocaine. It is also the main entry point for hashish produced in Morocco, which is mainly transported through the Strait of Gibraltar.
