Nearly metric three tons of cocaine stowed on a fishing boat have been seized off the coast of the Canary Islands, Spain, officials said on Sunday.

The drugs were hidden in the boat's fuel tank and five crew members — four Turkish people and a Georgian — were detained during a procedure that was carried out on Wednesday, said a joint statement by the Spanish national police, national guard and the finance ministry.

The detainees, as well as the boat, the drugs and the police proceedings, will be handed over to the Spanish National Court.

Gateway to Europe

Authorities were alerted that the "AKT 1" vessel could be carrying drugs by the Lisbon-based MAOC-N, an international agency set up to coordinate anti-drug trafficking action by several European Union member states.

The boat was halted some 300 nautical miles (over 550 kilometers) south of the Canaries and was subsequently towed to Las Palmas, the statement said.

Spain is the main gateway for drugs to enter Europe, with marijuana coming from North Africa and shipments of cocaine arriving from Latin America.

jsi/dj (AFP, EFE)