Powerful multi-engined narco-boat runs aground on Costa Tropical beach in bad weather

The Guardia Civil has launched an investigation following the appearance of a narco-boat which ran aground on Los Yesos beach in Sorvilán, Granada province, on Tuesday 26 March.

The boat, which is about 12 metres long and equipped with several powerful engines, reached the shore at around 5.30 am, Officers found 84 containers of fuel next to the local chapel, which would have been used to power the vessel, or supply other craft, had it not run aground. The occupants abandoned the boat when it reached the shore.

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According to Guardia Civil sources the main hypothesis is that the vessel was to be used for human trafficking. These types of boats can hold up to four 300 horsepower engines and have been banned since 2018. However, it is becoming increasingly common to find them on the Costa Tropical coast in Granada province.

According to the Guardia Civil, in recent months they have been spotted on the border between Granada and Almería provinces once or twice a week to traffic people. It is a practice that occurs on a regular basis and was first detected in the area just a year ago.

These vessels can also be used to transport drugs from North Africa, as they can reach Spanish territory in just a couple of hours. Some of these vessels are used by mafias as 'petrol stations' out at sea allowing small boats to refuel during their journey.