The Customs Surveillance Service of the Spanish Tax Agency and the Civil Guard, in collaboration with Morocco, intercepted a tugboat named Sky White carrying about 3,000 kilograms of cocaine on Wednesday.

The drugs, packed into 80 bales of varying sizes, were discovered aboard the Cameroonian-flagged vessel.

The operation drew on international cooperation with law enforcement agencies from Morocco, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Portugal, alongside the Intelligence Center on Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO) and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC-N), according to a statement from the Spanish Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance (DAVA).

Authorities had monitored the Sky White since the summer of 2024, suspecting it was being used for large-scale drug trafficking.

The vessel was ultimately intercepted in international waters west of the Canary Islands, with the support of the Spanish Armed Forces. Members of the Civil Guard’s Special Intervention Unit boarded the 22-meter-long tugboat, discovering the cocaine hidden within its structure.

The five crew members—four from Bangladesh and one from Venezuela—were arrested. Investigators noted that the vessel was in poor condition, with serious safety deficiencies posing risks to those on board.

The operation formed part of a broader case led by the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (DNRED) in collaboration with Moroccan authorities, targeting the criminal network using the Sky White.

Spanish authorities had been investigating the tugboat as a supply vessel responsible for transferring narcotics to smaller ships near the Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula.

The cocaine was unloaded in Tenerife, and the detained crew members were placed in pretrial detention.

Officials hailed the bust as a major success, crediting coordinated efforts between Spanish, French, and Moroccan authorities, as well as international partners including the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Portugal’s Polícia Judiciária.

“The success of this operation underscores the importance of strong international cooperation against organised crime,” the Spanish statement concluded.