Spain Seizes Ton of Cocaine From Jet Flying From Venezuela
An executive jet searched by Spanish police at the airport on Gran Canaria island, based on a tip from authorities in Venezuela, was found to be carrying more than a ton of cocaine camouflaged as humanitarian aid, judicial authorities told Efe on Tuesday.
The Maltese-registered aircraft was inspected Monday under judicial supervision.
Found in the search were bundles of cocaine in packages bearing logos of an international humanitarian organization.
The three crew members, whose identities and nationalities were not revealed, were detained for the crime of drug trafficking.
Authorities consulted by Efe were unable to say exactly how much the contraband weighed, but they did say it was more than 1,000 kilos (2,202 pounds).
Tracking of the aircraft started before dawn Sunday, when the Venezuelan government warned Interpol that an executive jet had taken off without authorization from the airport in the central city of Valencia.
Venezuela’s interior minister, Tareck el Aissami, said authorities on his end have already arrested 28 people for their alleged implication in the incident.