Officers from the National Police force have foiled an Italian drug trafficker's plan to escape from prison in the Canary Islands using a remote-controlled Zeppelin airship.

The inmate had a support team outside the prison consisting of three people, who have since been arrested, who were going to supply him with a night-vision kit amongst other items needed for the escape.

The Zeppelin was going to be used to drop the escape equipment into the prison, so that the inmate could then climb up to a high part of the prison that has no surveillance and to the drop down onto the outside, where a driver would pick him up, get him out of the country and provide him with false documentation.

The drug dealer, 51-year-old Giulio B. is linked to an international drugs trafficking ring dedicated to bringing large quantities of illegal substances into Spain, and had every intention of carrying on with his 'trade' after the escape.

The man was arrested after being found driving a seaplane bringing 200kg of cocaine from Mauritania.

The escape plan was foiled thanks to police officers noticing the three members of the 'outside support group' studying the prison security measures through binoculars from a nearby hill.

The arrest of the three men on the outside and a subsquent search of their properties led police to Giulio B., who had provided them with information and plans of the prison.