Man who crashed speedboat full of drugs into police boat with full force faces court in Spain
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World
September 20, 2024 19:46
barcelona - Karim El Baqqali, known as Karim Gabarde and also 'El Enfadao' (The Angry), appeared in court after surrendering in connection to a fatal collision between a drug speedboat and a Spanish police boat.
Karim El Baqqali appeared at the court headquarters in Barbate after being arrested in Cadiz the day before. He had been on the run in Morocco since February before surrendering in Cadiz. His lawyer revealed that he was the one driving the drug speedboat that collided with the Spanish police boat on February 9. However, El Baqqali claimed that he did not intend to harm the police officers, stating that he tried to avoid a collision. Court experts see this as a defense strategy to avoid a murder conviction and instead be charged with manslaughter.
Besides El Baqqali, three other individuals are believed to be involved in the fatal collision, with international arrest warrants issued against them. The incident, where two police officers lost their lives, shocked Spain and shed light on the drug issues facing the region. The police struggle to combat smugglers due to lack of resources, facing attacks from mafia members and pressure on their families.
On the same day of the collision, several drug boats were docked in the Barbate harbor due to bad weather. These boats typically transport drugs across the Strait of Gibraltar. El Baqqali's speedboat, equipped with four engines and weighing 7000 kilos, was found 20 nautical miles south of La Antilla beach in Huelva in March, with evidence linking it to the collision.
Karim El Baqqali, also known as Karim Gabarde and 'El Enfadao' due to his violent nature, is a member of a notorious drug family in Costa del Sol. He fled to his hometown Dalía in Morocco after the incident, where he was later arrested. El Baqqali, a nephew of Abdellah El Merabet, known as Pus Pus, worked for the drug organization led by his uncle, involved in large-scale marijuana trafficking via an extensive fleet of boats.
El Baqqali's arrest brought an end to the extradition pressure Spain was putting on Moroccan authorities. His surrender marks a significant development in the investigation surrounding the fatal collision that claimed the lives of two police officers in Spain.