A Dutch national and a Frenchman were arrested near the Canary Islands on Tuesday with at least 25 kilograms of cocaine on their sailboat. When they saw the customs patrol, the men set their boat on fire to destroy the drugs.
The customs patrol intercepted the boat 92 kilometers off the coast of Tenerife, the Spanish police report.
When the men on board the sailboat saw the customs patrol, they set the boat on fire. According to the police, they wanted to destroy the cocaine. One of the men was injured and had to be taken to the hospital by helicopter. It is not clear if this was the Dutch national.
Due to the “rough seas” and the fire, the police described it as a “very risky operation.” Before boarding, the fire had to be partially extinguished. Customs managed to secure 25 kilos of cocaine. Most of the drugs on board are believed to have been burned.