They intercept 1.4 tons of cocaine on a ferry coming from Ibiza

PalmaA Tax Agency operation against drug trafficking has led to the seizure of 1.4 tons of cocaine, distributed in 1,420 one-kilo bricks, which were traveling hidden in a vehicle that had just arrived at the port of Valencia by ferry from Ibiza. The driver of the vehicle, of Romanian origin, was arrested as he was preparing to disembark on the Peninsula.

The operation, named Reventón, was carried out on October 2nd as part of the routine checks that Customs Surveillance performs on the boarding and disembarking of ferries connecting the Peninsula with the Balearic Islands.

Agents selected several large vehicles to pass through the control with the so-called Medusa van, an X-ray scanner system that allows obtaining an image of the interior of the vehicles without having to open the cargo. During the inspection of one of the vehicles, the agents detected an image consistent with the presence of a substance different from the rest of the merchandise. The scanner clearly showed two types of cargo within the space intended for transport.

The drugs, hidden behind a screen

When the agents performed the physical inspection of the vehicle, they verified that the final part of the cargo, located behind a screen near the door, was occupied by a large number of packages of the type usually used to transport narcotic substances.

The agents performed a narcotest, which tested positive for cocaine. In total, they located 1,420 tablets. The driver was immediately arrested and both the drugs and the rest of the proceedings were left under the custody of Customs Surveillance. The detainee was brought before the duty investigating court of Valencia.

'Medusa', key to detecting the drugs

As explained by the Ministry of Finance, the so-called Medusa van is a fundamental tool in this type of control because it allows for the inspection of a large number of vehicles without the need to physically intervene in the cargo.

The system projects an X-ray system that passes through the vehicle and allows for the detection of possible double bottoms or cargo with densities different from those declared, which may indicate the presence of drugs and other illicit goods. In this case, the control began with the disembarkation of the ferry arriving from Ibiza. The agents went on to select different vehicles to subject them to the scanner until they detected the suspicious cargo.

The port of Valencia has three terminals that connect with the Archipelago and Customs Surveillance periodically carries out controls there on ferries destined for or coming from the Islands. The Treasury points out that these types of operations are common at the Valencian port and that, in addition to scanner controls, specialists in asset investigation and the prosecution of smuggling of protected species under the CITES convention participate in them.

Arrested in Ciutadella with 337 grams of cocaine

In another operation, the National Police arrested a man in Ciutadella who was caught with cocaine during a vehicle check. At the time of the intervention, the man was traveling with his partner, as reported by the Balearic Islands Police Headquarters.

The officers initially located two packages with 2.2 grams of cocaine that the suspect was carrying. During the inspection of the vehicle, however, they found more hidden inside a jar that belonged to him. Specifically, they located two more packages with the same substance: one with 52.31 grams and another with 282 grams. Because of these facts, the man has been arrested as the alleged perpetrator of a crime against public health. The vehicle in which he was traveling was removed and taken to the municipal depot.