The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court has issued a final ruling this March confirming the convictions of members of an international organization that used the ports of Lanzarote as a logistical platform to introduce tons of hashish into Spain. The resolution, presented by Judge Antonio del Moral, upholds prison sentences of up to six years and million-euro fines for the main implicated parties, after dismissing their appeals.
The judicial operation, which had one of its epicenters at the La Marina port in Arrecife, uncovered a complex network where citizens of Swedish, Russian, Brazilian, and Romanian nationality collaborated in the maritime transport of narcotics. According to the proven facts, the group acquired in February 2023 the sailing boat ‘Raya’ (Alfa 56 model) for an amount of 170,000 euros in the capital of Lanzarote, with the aim of preparing it for transoceanic drug-loading voyages.
The ruling details how the island’s ports were fundamental in the preparation phase. The accused undertook maintenance and repair work in Arrecife before moving the sailing boat to Marina Rubicón in Playa Blanca. It was from this latter location that, on July 18, 2023, the vessel set sail southward to load the hashish offshore, under the guise of recreational navigation.
The definitive intervention occurred just a day after its departure from Playa Blanca. The Customs Surveillance patrol vessel Cóndor intercepted the sailing boat 95 miles south of Gran Canaria, discovering an enormous quantity of drugs inside: 167 bales totaling over 5.4 tons of cannabis resin. The value of the merchandise on the black market was estimated at over 11 million euros.
The Supreme Court has been forthright in rejecting the defense arguments questioning the purity of the substance. The ruling confirms the following sentences for the accused from Sweden, Brazil, and Romania: Six years in prison each and two fines of 22 million euros per person. For the accused Russian, as an accomplice, four years in prison and two fines of 11 million euros. In addition to the prison sentences, the Supreme Court upholds the confiscation of all seized assets, which includes the sailing boat, a 12-meter rigid inflatable boat valued at 83,000 euros, industrial machinery, and the cash seized during searches in Torrevieja and Murcia, where the network had branches.
