This is the moment Guardia Civil officers seized more than three tonnes of hashish after a high-speed pursuit off the coast of Huelva.

Eight people were arrested aboard a suspected drug-smuggling speedboat near Mazagon on the morning of October 14.

Surveillance systems initially detected the suspicious vessel, prompting an interception operation involving the Huelva maritime service and a Guardia Civil helicopter.

Officers spotted numerous suspected drug bales aboard before the boat accelerated away.

According to the force, those on board carried out sharp manoeuvres that endangered both themselves and pursuing officers, while throwing petrol containers into the sea.

The Guardia Civil interceptor Rio Tietar eventually caught up with the vessel, allowing officers to board it and arrest all eight occupants.

They recovered 76 bales of hashish weighing a total of 3,040kg.

The rigid inflatable boat, powered by four high-performance engines, was also seized, along with fuel containers still on board.

All eight were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking, smuggling, serious disobedience and an offence against collective safety linked to ‘petaqueo’ – the transport and supply of fuel for drug-smuggling boats.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.