Italy’s finance police said on Thursday 9 August 2018 that they had found 20 tonnes of hashish in the fuel tanks of the Panama-flagged research and survey vessel Remus, stopped in international waters and escorted to Sicily.[1] With Panama’s permission the Guardia di Finanza had seized the vessel on 31 July and brought it to Palermo, where the tanks were drained and the hashish was found wrapped in sealed brown bags.[1]
The Remus had left the Canary Islands bound for Egypt and Turkey, but surveillance showed it switching off its position transmitter near the North African coast, which raised investigators’ suspicions.[2][1] Officers discovered 20,140 kilograms of North African hashish, worth between 150 and 200 million euros and probably destined for the European market.[2][1]
Crew arrested
The entire eleven-person crew, all Montenegrin nationals, was arrested for international drug trafficking.[2][1] The finance police called the Mediterranean one of the world’s largest arteries for illegal trafficking, crediting intelligence work and analysis of the ship’s route.[1] The raid was part of Operation Libeccio International, in which the Guardia di Finanza acts as sea police against drug trafficking in international waters.[2]
