GEO Forces Storm a Hijacked Ship from a Navy Patrol Boat During a Drill in Alicante

Spectacular anti-terrorism drill by the National Police and the Navy this Friday in Alicante aimed at showcasing the high response capability of both institutions to neutralise terrorist threats in a maritime and port scenario. The operation involved over a hundred personnel, prominently featuring the Special Operations Group (GEO), the elite unit of the Police.

The operation consisted of two exercises. On one hand, the GEO, from the patrol boat 'Audaz', stormed a fishing vessel - simulated by the Navy patrol boat PVZ 'Formentor' - which was pretending to have been hijacked by a terrorist cell at sea, intending to coordinate an attack in collusion with a terrorist aboard a cruise ship docked at the Port of Alicante.

The elite police unit liberated the vessel and arrested the alleged terrorists. Meanwhile, the Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR) apprehended the suspect who, after disembarking from the ship, carried out a knife attack on three civilians, resulting in two fatalities. Other specialised units of the National Police of Alicante also participated in the operation.

The drill was conducted to ensure the effective functioning of joint inter-institutional protocols between the Navy and the National Police in response to security incidents of a terrorist nature within the maritime and port environment, as well as to verify the effectiveness of the protection plans for the Port of Alicante.

The exercise's main objectives were to strengthen collaboration between bodies and organisations, verify port protection plans, and consolidate response protocols in extreme situations. Various specialised units of the National Police participated in the operation, including the GEO, TEDAX, Canine Guides, UPR, Foreigners Brigade, Citizen Security, Information, and Scientific Police, along with the Port Authority of Alicante and the Port Police.