DRUG traffickers were ‘caught in the act’ unloading a narco boat transporting hashish worth €7.8m.
The vessel had sailed under the cover of darkness into Javea’s idyllic La Granadella cove.
It’s one of the biggest narcotic seizures on the Costa Blanca in recent years.
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Three Spaniards have been arrested by the Guardia Civil and jailed by a Denia judge.
They’ve been charged with drug trafficking, resisting arrest and belonging to a criminal gang.
The detainees denied having anything to do with drug smuggling and claim they were in the area fishing.
Authorities have identified five others gang members- some of whom escaped into the mountains in a van following the Guardia operation on Saturday morning,
Besides seizing 4,200 kilos of hashish, a speedboat plus four cars and 1,300 litres of petrol were impounded.
The fuel was going to fill up the craft that had shipped in the drugs from southern Spain.
Three smaller inflatable boats were also involved in the landing- one of which was later found in a cove at Benitatxell.
The other craft escaped by sea.
The Guardia Civil’s SIVE alert system noted a high-speed boat heading towards La Granadella with officers scrambled from Javea, Denia, Moraira, and Pedreguer mobilised to intercept it.
Shortly before 4am on Saturday, three vans and a car arrived at the cove- simultaneously with the three inflatables.
The occupants started unloading the drugs and were surprised by the Guardia.
A quick escape was executed with suspects driving off or running on foot through the woods.
Two vans remained at the scene with 105 sacks of hashish.
Two of the detainees were arrested after fleeing by car while one of the crew was detained at La Granadella.
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