Spain’s Interior Ministry announced the dismantling of two international criminal organizations that were planning to smuggle large quantities of hashish into Europe through Spanish territory, following close security cooperation with Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security and the judicial authorities in Tangier.
The joint operation led to the arrest of 20 suspects, who were subsequently jailed on charges of international drug trafficking and membership in a criminal organization, according to a ministry statement.
The Spanish Interior Ministry said the operation, carried out between Cadiz and Granada, was the result of effective international coordination between Spain’s National Police and their Moroccan counterparts, under the supervision of the Anti-Drug Prosecutor’s Office in Algeciras and the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Appeals in Tangier.
The statement noted that precise intelligence provided by Moroccan security services was crucial in tracking trucks traveling from the Port of Tangier Med to Algeciras, allowing authorities to foil the smuggling plan in just three days.
Joint investigations led to the interception of a refrigerated truck in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cadiz) carrying a shipment of green peppers that concealed 12 tons of hashish hidden in double floors.
Fifteen members of the network were arrested during this phase, including drivers and spotters who used small cars to warn of police or customs checkpoints.
Three days later, police tracked down a second truck that had also departed from Tangier toward Algeciras before arriving at an industrial warehouse near Granada.
The search uncovered an additional eight tons of hashish hidden inside wooden compartments behind boxes of peppers. Five more suspects were detained and remanded in custody by Spanish authorities.
The Interior Ministry said the two networks used sophisticated concealment methods, including refrigerated trucks and colorful packaging designed to resemble chocolate, targeting younger consumers.
Authorities also seized nine vehicles, including trucks, trailers, and cars, along with a semi-automatic pistol and over €7,000 in cash intended to fund logistics operations.
The ministry stressed that the operation adds to a series of joint security successes between Morocco and Spain in combating organized crime and international drug trafficking, describing the partnership as “a model of cooperation based on mutual trust, solidarity, and shared determination to dismantle trafficking networks across the Mediterranean.”
It added that the close coordination between Moroccan and Spanish law enforcement continues to play a vital role in tackling drug smuggling, irregular migration, and terrorism in the region.
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