80-year-old former drug king proposes controversial smuggling-route boat tours

Laureano Oubiña, known as the Hashish King and recently released from a 30-year prison term, is marketing a boat excursion that would follow the same Atlantic routes he used to move tobacco and hashish. The venture, marketed as a one-day "Smuggling and Drug Trafficking Route" tour, would accommodate up to 150 guests, including families, for €189 per ticket, with stops at Ons island and a restaurant service. Galicia’s regional authority, the Xunta de Galicia, has intervened, stating that current tourism regulations require such tours to be organized by a duly authorized travel agency, and has given Oubiña three weeks to regularize the project.

The inspection warned that proceeding would constitute a serious violation and could damage the region’s tourism brand, which has been built over three decades. Oubiña, who now sells Albariño wine and publishes books, argues there is demand for a detailed recounting of his past operations, promising to describe cargo offloads and evasion tactics. He also hinted at future routes covering other historic smuggling points such as Muros, Costa da Morte, Lugo and parts of Portugal.