A drug trafficker has died and four others were injured in southern Spain following a boat chase with Civil Guard agents conducting an anti-drug operation, international media reported on Sunday.
The chase occurred overnight from Saturday to Sunday when eight boats were spotted speeding into the Guadalquivir River estuary near the port city of Cadiz in Andalusia.
Backed by a helicopter, the Civil Guard pursued the traffickers to prevent them from unloading their cargo.
One of the boats, equipped with four engines and “loaded with drugs,” managed to dock along with another boat that was serving as a guide. The helicopter then landed on the shore next to them.
The crew quickly fled on the larger boat, abandoning 47 bales of cannabis resin and the guiding boat, as the Civil Guard members resumed the chase.
The boat carrying the suspects accelerated for about 400 meters before crashing head-on into the riverbank at full speed.
The crash overturned the boat, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to four others.
In total, 74 bales of cannabis resin were recovered around the accident site, in addition to the 47 bales left on the shore where the boat initially docked.
This incident follows the deaths of two Civil Guard officers seven months ago when a drug traffickers’ speedboat collided with their boat during a chase in the port of Barbate, also in Cadiz province.
Spanish customs and Civil Guard agents regularly conduct drug seizures in the Bay of Cadiz. Spain, especially the Andalusia region because of its proximity to Morocco, serves as a major entry point for drugs into Europe, including cannabis resin.