Cargo ship that was carrying drugs in port in Tenerife

The Blume was taken to Santa Cruz in Tenerife. | Ministry of the Interior

Andrew EdePalma11/02/2023 14:10
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An elite team of agents from Customs Surveillance in Mallorca has taken part in two high-profile operations against drugs smuggling off the Canaries. The agents, three of them, were on a Customs patrol boat that has the name Fulmar but which is nicknamed 'the terror of the narcos'. A boat of sixty metres, it has a helipad and two auxiliary vessels that can be launched to act as support.

Regularly to be seen in Palma, Fulmar - on these occasions - was in the Atlantic. In the space of a matter of days last month, the boat was used to intercept and to board two freighters - the Blume and the Orion V. These were on what is known as the Atlantic route for drugs. Both flying the flag of Togo, they had set out from Colombia. The Blume was shipping coffee, while the Orion V had 1,750 cows that were destined for Beirut. They both had additional cargoes. The two operations, also involving the Guardia Civil and the National Police, resulted in the seizure of 9,500 kilos of cocaine.

The first operation, the Blume, was carried out 80 miles east of the Canaries. The sea was very rough, which made it a risky operation. The second was 62 miles southwest of the Canaries and represented a particular success for Customs. In 2020, when the Orion V was known as Spiridon, it was searched but nothing was found. Nevertheless, Customs remained convinced that it was being used to move drugs. And so it was.