In the operation, which took place earlier in the week, nine people were arrested according to the message from Spain on Sunday. The narcotics cargo was hidden in the hull's cargo spaces in the vessel that sailed under the Tanzanian flag.
The tip about the smuggling boat came from the US federal authority that combats narcotics smuggling, the Spanish police announced in a statement. The US provided "information" that was crucial for a "successful intervention".
The vessel came from Panama and was on its way to Vigo in northwestern Spain.
A year ago, the Spanish police made a record seizure when 13 tons of cocaine were discovered in a cargo of bananas in a boat that was anchored in the port of Algeciras in the southern part of the country.
