Three men arrested in Fuerteventura over ‘petaqueo’ after 2,000 litres of petrol found in jerrycans
During the Civil Guard operation, 79 25-litre jerrycans prepared for transport were seized from a van. After appearing before a judge, the three men were remanded in custody.
The Civil Guard’s Las Palmas Command arrested three men at the end of August on suspicion of trafficking and transporting flammable substances.
The men were stopped in a van carrying 79 jerrycans, each containing 25 litres of petrol. A total of 1,975 litres of fuel was seized, allegedly linked to the supply of fuel to drug-running boats, a practice popularly known as “petaqueo”.
The operation, carried out by the Puerto del Rosario post, took place on the night of Saturday 29 August. Several people were spotted at a service station on an industrial estate in the municipality of Antigua, filling containers with a large quantity of fuel. The containers did not comply with the safety regulations for transporting dangerous goods.
After stopping the vehicle, officers detected a strong smell of fuel coming from inside. When they searched the loading area, they found the jerrycans filled with fuel and discovered two people hiding in the rear of the van.
A total of 79 jerrycans containing 1,975 litres of petrol were seized. Given indications that the cargo was intended to supply boats linked to drug trafficking illegally—a practice known as “petaqueo”—the Civil Guard arrested the driver and the two passengers hiding in the rear compartment. They were accused of trafficking and transporting flammable substances.
Once the relevant proceedings had been completed, the men were brought before a judge, who ordered all three to be remanded in custody without bail.
Source: La Voz de Fuerteventura