On 24 January, Spanish police and customs officials boarded a livestock ship, “ORION V” (Togo flag), off the Canary Islands.
The vessel was en route from Colombia to Beirut. Investigators found approximately 4.5 tons of cocaine hidden in the grain silos used to feed the animals.
The operation was carried out with the support of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Togolese police. This is the third ship to be diverted in the Canary Islands in the space of a few days.
The 1750 cows on board were to be either slaughtered in Tenerife or allowed to reach their final destination. The ship left Gran Canaria on 29 January.