Police have arrested a man following an incident a week ago in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz, when local residents hurled stones at a Customs Surveillance Service helicopter and tried to make off with bales of hashish abandoned by traffickers.
The incidents began at 19:45 on November 28th when a Customs Surveillance Service helicopter spotted a motorised launch approach another vessel and begin the transferring of packages from one boat to the other.
After transferring the packages, the motorised launch pushed the other boat to shore. The helicopter decided to land and this made the occupants of the boat abandon their cargo and flee.
On board the boat the officers discovered numerous packages of the type regularly used by traffickers to transport hashish. Two officers decided to remain with the boat until back-up arrived on the scene.
However, a large crowd of local residents arrived on the scene and began throwing stones and other objects at the officers and making off with the packages.
The detainee, a 34 year old man from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with a history of theft, was found hiding behind a house. He was soaking wet and was clutching a bale of hashish. It has not yet been ascertained whether he is one of the traffickers from the boat or one of the group of local residents who attacked the officers but he has been charged with drug trafficking.