A suspected drug-smugglers’ boat has been found washed up on a beach in a holiday resort popular with Brits.
The rigid-hull inflatable vessel was discovered stranded on the shore of Playa del Paraíso Barronal in Estepona, Spain.
It was found on Tuesday (4 Mar) morning and appears to be 12 to 16m (39 to 52ft) long.
Forty-five fuel drums were found abandoned alongside it on the sand.
The beach where it was found straddles neighbouring Marbella – popular with holidaymakers and expats from the UK.
Both settlements lie on the Costa del Sol, which has been a gateway for smuggling for years.
The Civil Guard are now working to discover who owns the vessel.
Detectives believe the gang likely fled in haste after noticing a patrol or suffering an engine breakdown.
A law that came into effect in Spain in October 2018 clamps down on vessels suspected to be drug boats.
Since then, traffickers have moored such boats to one another in floating “narco marinas” in the middle of the Med.
They use other boats to supply them with fuel, as reported by Need To Know.
It is believed that much of the narco trade has moved further towards and into the Atlantic of late.
Local media say stormy weather may have forced the crew in question east, where there are more patrols.
The footage was shared on a local social media page.
Fritiyo joked: “How nice – free petrol and a little boat for fishing!”
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