Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Spain’s customs service has suspended helicopter patrols over the Strait of Gibraltar and the Bay of Algeciras after all four of its aircraft were grounded.
The last flight took place on Wednesday, November 4, leaving officers without their own air support to track suspect boats and coordinate with crews at sea in one of the country’s busiest drug-trafficking corridors.
Insovlency behind the halt
The helicopters belong to Spain’s tax agency, but the company that supplied the pilots and maintained the fleet, Eliance, has entered insolvency proceedings.
As a result, the patrols have been interrupted until a new operator is in place or another arrangement is found to cover the flying hours.
Customs officials are understood to be considering drones or temporary support from other aviation services to bridge the gap, according to reports cited by sources close to the operation.
There is no date yet for the helicopters to return to service. The tax agency has already drawn up a tender for a new operator, but it first needs a court order formally declaring Eliance insolvent so it can end the current contract.
Gap in a key surveillance route
The suspension affects an area long used by smugglers moving drug loads towards the Spanish coast, and removes a tool customs officers use to spot suspect craft and direct teams on the water.
Earlier this week, a separate report said a rocket launcher seized in Seville was believed to have been intended for use against police helicopters and boats, underlining the risks faced by aerial and maritime units operating in the same wider corridor.
