The Civil Guard of the Balearic Islands, together with agents of the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency, is carrying out joint controls in the ports of Palma and Ibiza as part of the so-called Operation Tebal, aimed at reducing the activity of criminal organizations engaged in drug trafficking.
As reported by the armed institute through its social networks, the devices consist of the installation of tax checkpoints within the customs territory coinciding with the disembarkation of ships arriving on the islands.
During these controls, agents selectively inspect vehicles, goods and luggage disembarking from regular ferries, with the aim of detecting possible consignments of narcotic substances and other illicit goods.
Joint work with Customs Surveillance
The operation is being carried out in coordination between units of the Civil Guard in the Balearic Islands and officials of the Customs Surveillance Service, part of the Tax Agency. It is a mixed operation which combines the functions of fiscal protection of the State and customs control at the maritime accesses to the archipelago.
Police sources emphasize that this type of action allows them to reinforce police pressure on the entry points that criminal organizations use to try to introduce drugs into the islands.
Device with specialized units
The operation has a specific structure for the fight against drug trafficking and tax fraud, which includes investigation units of the Guardia Civil such as the UDAIFF (Tax Analysis and Investigation Units), the USECIC (Citizen Security Unit of the Palma Command), members of the Cinology Service with canine guides and agents of the Traffic Group, as well as officers of the Tax Agency and the Customs Surveillance Service.
Citizen support and request for more controls in summer
The images of the controls, disseminated on the Instagram profile of the Civil Guard of the Balearic Islands, have generated dozens of comments in support of the work of the agents, who some users refer to as “heroes” and “green angels”.
Among the reactions there are also messages calling for more presence and controls during the summer months, when passenger and vehicle traffic increases in the ports of Palma and Ibiza.
From the Guardia Civil they emphasize that the operation Tebal is framed in the habitual actions of fight against the drug trafficking in the Balearic Islands and remember that these devices will be maintained periodically with the objective to hinder the activity of the networks dedicated to the drug trafficking in the archipelago.
