British Navy submariner arrested for drug trafficking in Strait of Gibraltar, allegedly backed by Irish / Lebanese financier
Leonard T. Koonce
2 min read
British Navy submariner Robert Mark Benson (64), who had the alleged backing of an Irish / Lebanese drug trafficker, was arrested in Spain on suspicion of using his military training to circulate drugs in the Strait of Gibraltar.
enson was arrested late last month along with ten other suspected accomplices after Spanish police seized two ships with 1.5 tonnes of hash on board.
It is understood that Spanish police were first notified of Benson in 2020 when one hundred kilograms of hash were found on a yacht in Cueta in North Africa.
Spanish newspaper El Pais reported how a prosecutor in Spain alleged that Benson had the backing of an Irish / Lebanese financier in Marbella, described as having the backing of people who have “lots of money and who were almost untouchable in Marbella “.
During the police investigation, a number of weapons, including a fake pistol and nearly € 6,000 in cash were discovered.
Raids were carried out in Malaga, Madrid and Cadiz by the Policia National in Spain.
Marcos Frias, head of the country’s central organized crime squad, told a court that Benson would have had “the perfect combination of logistics and investment.”
The “Operation Cadenas†carried out by the Spanish police have already dismantled what they describe as a “mafia†with “14 years of experienceâ€.
Benson was arrested on June 13 last year after a Spanish surveillance vessel called Fulmar boarded a boat called “Windwhisperer” in the Azores on June 13.
It is understood that the hash was hidden in backpacks on board the boat.
Benson was an officer in the executive branch of the Royal Navy, serving from 1978 to 1985
He described himself as a “real estate advisor” in the Sotogrande district of Cadiz.
On his LinkedIn profile, he says he “helps buyers choose the property of their dreams, manage clients’ luxury private villa design and construction project.”
