Dutchman sets boat full of cocaine on fire after getting caught by police near Tenerife
A Dutchman and a Frenchman were arrested near the Canary Islands last week with at least 25 kilograms of cocaine on their sailboat. Upon spotting the customs patrol, the men set their boat on fire to destroy the drugs, the Spanish police reported on Monday.
The customs patrol intercepted the burning sailboat 92 kilometers off the coast of Tenerife. According to the police, the men set the boat on fire in an attempt to destroy the cocaine.
Customs officers had to partially extinguish the fire before they were able to board. The authorities managed to secure 25 kilograms of cocaine. A large amount of drugs were destroyed in the fire, the police said.
“The maritime operation was highly risky for Customs patrol officers due to the rough seas and the fire intentionally set by the vessel's crew to destroy the cocaine and the sailboat,” the police said.
One of the men got seriously hurt and had to be taken to a hospital by helicopter. The police did not say whether this was the Dutch or the Frenchman.
Both men were arrested, and the investigation is ongoing.
