POLICE in Gibraltar have seized nearly two tonnes of petrol used to fuel notorious ‘narcolancha’ boats funnelling drugs into southern Spain in the latest sign that rampant drug trafficking in the Strait is making its way towards the Rock.
Officers from the Royal Gibraltar Police’s community policing unit discovered the haul on Saturday after receiving intelligence that narco gangs were using the peninsula’s unique geography to hide vital fuel reserves.
In total, 1,750 litres of petrol stored in 70 plastic jerrycans were found stashed away in a cave complex in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.
“The illegal and dangerous practice of storing large quantities of fuel in plastic containers is linked to the logistical supply of vessels involved in drug trafficking through the Strait of Gibraltar,” a Royal Gibraltar Police spokesperson said.
“In addition to depriving the organised crime groups involved in this illicit activity, the discovery and seizure of this fuel, which had been recklessly stored in a closed cave complex, mitigated the significant risk of fire or explosion in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve during the current high-risk season.”
Personnel from the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service and HM Customs were also involved in the operation.
The latest operation comes less than a month after authorities in the small British Overseas Territory seized nearly half a tonne of cocaine after discovering bales of the Class-A drug hidden away in the hull of two ships.
Officers from HM Customs inspected two bulk carriers, M/V Amaris and M/V Chao Tian Men, after they entered Gibraltar territorial waters to take on fuel.
During a routine underwater inspection, local divers identified abnormalities in the sea chest areas.
That led to the discovery of concealed packages hiding approximately 428kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of €29 million.
Thousands of tons of illegal drugs are trafficked through the Strait of Gibraltar every year.
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