The intervention took place on Thursday morning at the entrance to the municipality, specifically in an industrial estate located before the access bridge to Isla Cristina. There, officers intercepted a small van transporting about 60 gasoline containers inside.

The seized fuel load has been transferred and deposited in the municipal facilities of the Isla Cristina City Council, where it will remain pending appropriate proceedings.

This operation is part of the reinforced surveillance against 'petaqueo', an activity that has seen a significant increase in recent years. This practice emerged as an indirect response to the prohibition of using drug boats in Spain since 2018, which has led drug trafficking networks to reorganize their logistics and create a parallel market for fuel supply at sea using auxiliary vessels.

Sources linked to the fight against drug trafficking indicate that recent regulatory changes, aimed at toughening the prosecution of this activity, are beginning to yield positive results, facilitating greater intervention and control capabilities over these illicit logistical practices.