‘NEVER SEEN BEFORE’: Gibraltar police amazed at attempt by three men to smuggle 1.5 tonnes of hash worth £6 million

POLICE in Gibraltar have arrested three men over a ‘never seen before’ attempt at smuggling hashish.

The trio, all Spaniards, were cuffed after police discovered 1.5 tonnes of cannabis resin worth over £6 million.

Juan Jose Pinero Espinosa 24 from Algeciras, Francisco Gil Dominguez 33 from Jerez, and Juan Manuel Ordonez Suarez 36, from Algeciras, tried to smuggle the drugs onto the Rock in a boat.

The semi-rigid inflatable vessel used had been altered, so the console hull had a cavity to store bricks of the Class B substance.

An RGP statement said the smuggling attempt was a ‘a new sophisticated method of concealment for these type of vessels which we had never seen before’.

The trio now face charges of importation, possession and possession with intent to supply and are in Magistrates Court this morning.

All three men were in fact re-arrested, after originally being detained on Monday over lesser charges, before police intelligence led to the discovery of the hash.

They plead guilty to importing a prohibited import and dangerous navigation after piloting the 14-metre 350×3 horsepower vessel in Gibraltar’s territorial waters.

RGP spokesperson Paco Oliva told the Olive Press: “This type of vessel is illegal in Gibraltar.”