THE Guardia Civil has arrested four suspected drug traffickers after intercepting a narco-boat carrying more than 4,000 kilos of hashish.
The vessel was spotted some 42 miles off the coast of Punta Umbria, Huelva.
Officers on a drug trafficking prevention patrol detected the boat sailing without navigation systems.
Agents confirmed the semi-rigid inflatable boat was equipped with four engines and loaded with burlap-wrapped packages.
The crew attempted to flee and ignored orders to stop.
A chase followed as the suspects performed dangerous manoeuvres, endangering their own safety and that of the officers.
Several drug bales and fuel canisters were thrown overboard during the pursuit to lighten the vessel.
The Guardia Civil intercepted and boarded the boat before arresting the four men.
Officers seized 100 bales of hashish weighing approximately 4,000kg.
The detainees appeared before the Juzgado Central de Instruccion Numero 1 de la Audiencia Naciona, which ordered their pre-trial detention.
This seizure is another blow to drug routes along the coast of southern Spain, as the area remains a key gateway for hashish entering Europe from North Africa.
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