Two residents of San Isidro and Torre Pacheco in Murcia, along with civil guards and National Police, were detained in the Badajoz province on suspicion of a crime related to smuggling after being caught with a narcolancha inside a twelve-meter-long truck.
The operation began following a joint investigation that intensified when authorities focused on the Zafra industrial area, a zone suspected of serving as a hideout for fast transport routes commonly used by drug traffickers to move illicit cargo.
Security representatives deployed a covert surveillance device in the region, and on August 7, two individuals were identified aboard a semi-trailer in a tow truck that moved away after it had secured the vehicle. The convoy was proceeding along road N-432 in the direction of Córdoba.
The vehicle was halted as it crossed the municipality of Ahillones in Badajoz. After stopping, the occupants inside the semi-trailer were identified, and the interior was screened. A 12-meter semi-rigid boat, the kind typically used by drug traffickers, was found concealed within the trailer.
The narcolancha associated with one of the San Isidro residents is shown in the accompanying photo caption. The image highlights the scale of the vessel involved in the operation.
The discovery illustrates the continued use of large, specialized boats for smuggling activities and underscores the risks posed by such methods to border and public safety. The presence of this craft, a vessel of that length, signals a deliberate attempt to evade routine checks and transport illicit goods over long distances with a rapid, stealthy approach.
These ships of this class are prohibited under the terms of the Organic Law on the Prevention of Smuggling and related regulations. The authorities acted in accordance with legal procedures and seized the evidence connected to the case as part of the ongoing investigation.
At the request of the investigators, the shipping documents were not submitted, and the identities of the alleged owner and responsible person were not disclosed. Along with the incriminating evidence and seized materials, the two were arrested and charged as alleged participants in smuggling activities, pending formal prosecution.
[Citation: Guardia Civil and Policía Nacional report on the incident, 2024]