Ten suspected drug traffickers have been arrested after gunmen opened fire on a Guardia Civil boat during a high-speed chase off the coast of Huelva.

The major operation saw officers seize almost six tonnes of hashish and two high-powered ‘narcolanchas’ being used by the gang.

The confrontation began during the night of August 17 to 18, when a Guardia Civil maritime patrol, working alongside the Customs Surveillance Service, spotted a suspicious semi-rigid speedboat off Huelva.

Officers gave chase, but the crew of the narco boat allegedly carried out a series of extremely dangerous evasive manoeuvres in an attempt to escape.

The Guardia Civil said the suspects also began throwing part of their cargo into the sea, both to dispose of evidence and to obstruct the pursuing vessels and potentially damage them.

But the pursuit then escalated dramatically when the traffickers opened fire on the Guardia Civil patrol boat.

Officers responded by firing several shots in order to repel the attack and bring the threat under control.

Despite their efforts, the narco boat managed to escape after the Guardia Civil vessel suffered a mechanical failure during the pursuit.

Man shot and abandoned by his accomplices

The seriousness of the armed attack prompted the Guardia Civil and Customs Surveillance Service to launch a major operation to hunt down those responsible.

Investigators sought not only to locate the fleeing boat and its crew, but also to identify any support vessels that might attempt to help them escape.

The breakthrough came after officers managed to locate the narco boat again.

On the morning of August 20, security forces launched a coordinated operation at sea, targeting both the original vessel and a second narco boat allegedly providing support.

Both boats were intercepted and officers discovered a haul of 5.9 tonnes of hashish.

Nine alleged members of the organisation were arrested during the operation.

Meanwhile, investigators tracked down a tenth suspect who had suffered a gunshot wound during the earlier confrontation.

According to the Guardia Civil, the injured man had been abandoned by his own accomplices on the coast of Cadiz.

He was subsequently arrested and taken to a hospital in Puerto Real for treatment.

Investigation continues

The operation involved specialist units including the Guardia Civil’s Huelva Maritime Service, its elite Special Intervention Unit (UEI), the Judicial Police, the Regional Centre for Analysis and Intelligence against Drug Trafficking (CRAIN) and the Customs Surveillance Service.

The investigation is being overseen by the National Court in Madrid.

Investigators are now working to establish the precise role played by each of the ten detainees and their alleged involvement in the armed attack on officers.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.