The GNR and Spain’s Guardia Civil joined forces at the Guadiana river border today in seizing 1,620 kilos of hashish from two drug boats.
The GNR announced the seizure late on Wednesday of a vessel carrying 1,320 kilos of hashish sailing toward the Guadiana river. The crew jumped and swam off to Spain.
GNR officers also nabbed a second vessel that had been abandoned on the beach at Isla Canela on the Spanish side.
The Portuguese promptly informed the Spanish authorities that this smaller boat was their problem and Guardia Civil officers found 300 kilos of hashish stowed onboard.
The commander of Coastal Control for Olhão, Bruno Cordeiro, said this was the first arrest of this kind so far this year.
The GNR had spotted that the inbound boat was being steered on a certain course towards the Guadiana river mouth, this raised justifiable suspicions and soom the game was up.
The 41 bales of hashish on the larger boat was kept by the Portuguese authorities and the smaller seizure of 9 bales, by the Spanish.
The larger of the two boats that were used to try and import the hashish from Morocco was a 7.7 metre sport fishing boat with a 200 horsepower outboard motor.
