In recent years, a thriving underground business has emerged in southern Spain, especially in the provinces of Cádiz and Almería, supplying drug boats with fuel directly at sea. This scheme, known as ‘petakio’, has become a key logistical element for drug cartels that use speedboats to transport cocaine and hashish across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Demand for fuel for these boats has increased since Spain tightened laws in 2018, banning the use of inflatable boats for smuggling. Now, drug boats rarely come ashore to avoid the risk of confiscation. Instead, they remain at sea for weeks, waiting for resupplies of fuel, food, and other necessities. Small boats are used to deliver gasoline canisters directly to the drug vessels.
Organizing this process requires the involvement of many people. Some make money by buying fuel at regular gas stations, often at night or during off-hours to avoid drawing attention. The canisters are then transported to apartments in disadvantaged neighborhoods, where they are collected by drug business representatives. After that, the fuel is sent on small boats to the main vessels waiting at sea.
The cost of this service has significantly increased in recent years. While previously a 25-liter canister would cost around 100 euros, now the price can reach 250–500 euros. This is due to the fact that modern narco-boats are equipped with powerful four-stroke engines that require high-quality fuel for fast and discreet drug delivery.
According to law enforcement agencies, in just one month in Cádiz, 45,000 liters of fuel were seized and 40 boats involved in illegal supplies were detained. Efforts to combat this business have been complicated by the fact that, until recently, storing and transporting gasoline resulted only in administrative fines rather than criminal charges. This made ‘petakio’ attractive for former drug traffickers and ordinary residents looking to make quick money.
The situation began to change after the Andalusian prosecutor’s office found a way to apply Article 568 of the Penal Code to such cases, which provides for up to eight years in prison for storing and transporting hazardous substances. As a result, some participants in the scheme have been placed in pretrial detention, though legal practice remains inconsistent: different courts interpret these cases differently, creating legal uncertainty.
Experts note that underground fuel logistics have become an integral part of the drug trade in the region. A single narco-boat can consume between 2,000 and 4,000 liters of gasoline per trip, with the cost of a full tank reaching up to €20,000. In July last year, police dismantled a ‘floating gas station’ operated by a group of four people, who earned up to €250,000 in just one month.
The problem is exacerbated by the involvement of young people and vulnerable groups, for whom participating in fuel deliveries seems like an easy way to make money. Often, they are unaware of the dangers and consequences, while the mafia treats them as disposable.
Authorities and law enforcement stress that without tougher laws and coordinated judicial practice, it is impossible to completely stop this business. For now, ‘petaqueo’ continues to fuel the drug trade, facilitating the trafficking of cocaine and hashish through the Strait of Gibraltar and turning southern Spain into a key hub in Europe’s drug logistics.
