The trial of 15 Russian sailors began in the Spanish city of Huelva

The trial of 15 Russian sailors accused of involvement in drug smuggling has begun in the Spanish city of Huelva, a RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the courtroom. Russian sailors have been in custody for about a year in a port...

The trial of 15 Russian sailors accused of involvement in drug smuggling has begun in the Spanish city of Huelva, a RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the courtroom.

Russian sailors have been in detention in the port city of Huelva for about a year on suspicion of smuggling a large consignment of drugs, which they allegedly unloaded from someone else's ship. In total, 34 people are involved in the case, including Ukrainians, Romanians, Moroccans, Spaniards and Poles.

Russian sailors, an employee of Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet OJSC, were arrested on May 14, 2008 by members of the Spanish Civil Guard in the port of Huelva, along with citizens of Spain, Poland, Ukraine, Romania and Morocco, during an operation during which 4 tons of hashish were seized, delivered to Spain from Morocco.

According to police, Russian sailors were hired by drug traffickers to transfer bales of hashish from an inflatable motorboat to a car.

The Russians are accused of involvement in drug smuggling on an especially large scale. In Spain, such crimes carry severe penalties of imprisonment and fines.

Russian lawyer Antonio Lorenzo Amador (Antonio Lorenzo Amador) told RIA Novosti that the chances that the judge will acquit the Russian sailors from Arkhangelsk are small.