Rabat – A light-weight aircraft carrying cocaine crashed in the early hours of September 6 in Sabt al-Zinat, a few kilometers from the city of Assilah, according to a local news outlet. Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), however, has not yet reported on the incident.
At 2 a.m., the Royal Gendarmerie, the police, and intelligence services’ teams went to the scene to investigate the incident.
The craft crashed between Larache and Assilah (46 kilometers south of Tangier). The ‘helicopter’ was carrying cocaine, originally from South America, between Morocco and Spain, says the local source.
At the crash scene, the Royal Gendarmerie arrested the pilot, a man in his fifties of Mexican nationality. Having sustained minor injuries, he was evacuated to the nearest hospital where he will be questioned by the Royal Gendarmerie.
The news outlet pointed out that the craft was allegedly traveling at low altitude to avoid being tracked by radars.
The causes of this accident are still unclear. An investigation was opened to determine the causes and the exact circumstances of this crash.
Local news also mentioned that this is not the first time that small planes transporting drugs crashed in the area. Other crafts have been found in the suburbs of the city of Tetouan.
Morocco and Spain’s recent drug trafficking pressure
Moroccan and Spanish police have recently been facing a rising number of drug trafficking operations.
On September 2, Spanish police arrested four British suspects for their alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking network. During the arrest operation, police seized €100,000 and 1,500 kilograms of cannabis.
On August 15, a unit of the Royal Navy aborted a drug trafficking operation in the same region of Assilah, Northern Morocco. After a long chase to stop three “Go-Fast” boats, the navy seized 130 packets of cannabis resin weighing more than 4 tons.
In June 2019, Moroccan Police in Nador aborted a large international drug-smuggling operation and seized a total of 12 tons and 800 kilograms of cannabis resin.
