On 24 September a drug trafficking boat was intercepted in the Western Mediterranean in the framework of the Frontex- coordinated operation, Indalo. While conducting surveillance activities in the Alboran Sea, the Italian Guardia di Finanza plane, deployed by Frontex, detected a yacht suspected of drug trafficking. The plane immediately informed the operation coordination centre in Madrid which in turn deployed several vessels, including the French navy and Spanish Guardia Civil patrol boats. After a pursuit that lasted several hours, the drug boat was intercepted by the Guardia Civil in the international waters. The yacht, registered in the UK, was carrying 13 tonnes of hashish divided into over 500 individual packages. The market value of the seized drugs destined for the European market is estimated at EUR 20 million. Three crew members, two Spaniards and one Lithuanian were arrested by the Spanish authorities.
The Frontex joint operation Indalo supports the Spanish authorities with border control activities in the Western Mediterranean. The Frontex deployed assets include surveillance planes and patrol vessels. Although border control is the primary aim of the operational assets deployed by Frontex, they also contribute to EU maritime security by sharing operational information such as drug boat detection.