The Civil Guard, through the Las Palmas Command, has carried out in the last month and a half three operations against the so-called “petaqueo”, achieving the arrest of 11 people and the seizure of more than 7,500 liters of fuel allegedly intended to supply boats linked to drug trafficking.
This type of criminal activity —consisting of the storage, transport, and supply of large quantities of gasoline in canisters, known as “petacas”— constitutes a crime covered by article 568 of the Penal Code, as it involves the possession and transport of flammable substances without authorization.
The investigations developed by the agents have made it possible to confirm that these operations were directly related to drug trafficking networks that use high-speed boats to transport drugs from Africa and South America to the Iberian Peninsula. Thanks to these actions, at least several planned operations in waters near the archipelago would have been frustrated.
Gran Canaria
Last December 28, the Judicial Police Team of Vecindario arrested four men in the Port of Mogán as alleged perpetrators of a crime of possession, deposit, and illegal distribution of flammable material.
During a technical-ocular inspection carried out on a fishing boat, agents located 110 canisters with a total of approximately 3,000 liters of fuel. The vessel was sealed and placed at the disposal of the judicial authorities.
Lanzarote
In the early morning of December 24, 2025, Civil Guard patrols detected a possible operation linked to drug trafficking on the coast of Punta Mujeres. The agents observed a boat approaching at high speed while several people were carrying out loading operations at the pier.
The intervention allowed the apprehension of 64 canisters with approximately 1,250 liters of fuel and the detention of a male for unauthorized possession of flammable substances, allegedly related to a drug trafficking operation that could be thwarted thanks to police action.
Fuerteventura
On December 22, 2025, in the Playa de la Señora area, near Morro Jable, an operation was deployed after suspicious movements were detected on the coast.
The agents surprised several people trying to supply fuel to a boat that had just arrived on shore. One of those involved was arrested at the scene, while others initially fled, abandoning numerous canisters on the beach.
Subsequently, the Civil Guard managed to intercept the occupants when they were being transferred to the Morro Jable pier, arresting three crew members, the boat's captain, and another person who was carrying out surveillance duties. In total, 157 canisters with approximately 3,200 liters of fuel and two boats considered prohibited goods under Decree-Law 16/2018 were seized in this operation.
The Civil Guard emphasizes that, in addition to constituting a criminal offense, these types of practices pose a serious risk to collective security and the environment, due to the storage and transport of large quantities of fuel without adequate safety measures.