Rabat / Madrid – In a major victory against global narcotics networks, Moroccan security services played a pivotal role in a high-profile international operation that led to the interception of the tugboat Sky White, carrying approximately 3,000 kilos of cocaine.
The Spanish Tax Agency’s Customs Surveillance Service and the Spanish Civil Guard, working in close coordination with Morocco, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Portugal, successfully boarded the vessel in international waters west of the Canary Islands. The operation was further supported by the Intelligence Centre on Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO) and the Atlantic Analysis Centre against Drug Trafficking (MAOC-N).
The 22-meter Cameroonian-flagged vessel, long suspected of large-scale trafficking since the summer of 2024, was serving as a supply ship to smaller boats operating near the Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula. Inside its structure, officers uncovered 80 bales of cocaine weighing around three tonnes.
Moroccan authorities, through their active collaboration with the French Customs Research and Intelligence Directorate (DNRED) and Spanish law enforcement, provided key intelligence that enabled the successful boarding. Five crew members — four from Bangladesh and one from Venezuela — were arrested on charges of drug trafficking.
Officials highlighted that the vessel was in poor navigational condition, posing significant risks to its crew. The seized drugs were transferred to Tenerife, where the suspects remain in pre-trial detention.
The operation underscores Morocco’s steadfast commitment to international security cooperation and its proactive role in combating organized crime and transnational drug trafficking. Security experts praised the unwavering support of Moroccan authorities, which was instrumental in ensuring the mission’s success.
BY: The Times Union
