Drug smugglers in the Strait of Gibraltar face fewer eyes in the sky after Spain’s customs service grounded four helicopters used to spot and track suspect boats.

Customs helicopter patrols over the strait and the Bay of Algeciras have been suspended since the last flight on Wednesday, November 4.

The aircraft belong to Spain’s tax agency, but the company that supplied their pilots and maintained them, Eliance, has entered insolvency proceedings.

The grounding leaves customs officers without their own helicopters to follow suspect boats from the air and guide crews on the water in one of Spain’s busiest drug trafficking corridors.

Customs officials are looking at deploying drones or securing flying hours from other aviation services to cover the gap, sources told Europa Sur.

There is no date yet for the helicopters to return to service.

The tax agency has drawn up a tender for a new operator.

Before it can invite bids, it needs the court order formally declaring Eliance’s insolvency so it can terminate the existing contract.