HM Customs seized 120kg of cocaine from the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier M/V Great Zhou in Gibraltar waters last week. 

On the evening of the 30th of April officers of the HM Customs Marine Section, equipped with a departmental underwater drone, conducted a search of the vessel which had called in for bunkers in Gibraltar, arriving from the port of Santos in Brazil. 

During the course of the search, which lasted into the early hours of Thursday morning, 4 suspect packages were discovered stashed in the port side sea chest of the vessel. These were seized by Customs Officers and transported aboard HMC Sentinel to the Customs Marine Base, where they were opened and found to contain a total of 120kg of cocaine. 

HM Customs Officers interviewed all crew members and conducted a further search of the vessel, after which it was released with investigations ongoing. 

Although not thought to be destined for Gibraltar, the detection has stopped a significant amount of illegal drugs from arriving at its destination and deprived drug traffickers from the proceeds generated by this type of criminal activity. 

This is a clear example of HM Customs’ commitment to using its maritime assets to successfully combat the illicit drug trade by sea and the devastating effect this activity has on the wider international community. 

The Collector of Customs, John Payas, commended his officers for their determination in pursuing results in this difficult area of work. The investment in the underwater drone in December 2024 has already paid off. He also thanked the Gibraltar Port Authority VTS for coordinating the vessel’s movements whilst in BGTW. 

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said: ‘Congratulations to HM Customs for another successful operation, reminding organised crime groups that Gibraltar plays an important part in the international fight against drug trafficking. This is why my Government has made serious investment in HM Customs to support their crucial work in combatting drug crime, with real results for Gibraltar and for other countries that these drugs are intended for.’