Spain considers ban on ‘narco launches’

Spain is considering following Gibraltar’s lead and prohibiting the fast launches commonly used by gangs trafficking drugs across the Strait of Gibraltar.

The powerful rigid-hulled inflatable boats synonymous with smuggling in this area were banned in Gibraltar in the 1990s but are legal in Spain.

Now, the Spanish Government has confirmed it is studying legislative changes to crack down on the use of so-called “narco launches”.

The move comes amid renewed pressure on the central government in Madrid to crack down on increasingly brazen gangs operating in the Campo de Gibraltar.

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