Rabat – A coast guard patrol operating under Morocco’s Royal Navy arrested three Spanish drug smugglers in the Mediterranean Sea.
The patrol boats seized a ton of hashish, also known as “chira”, off the coast of Morocco’s northernmost Ksar al Saghir. The small town is located approximately halfway between Tangier and Ceuta.
Residents of the town can see the Spanish shores to the north as Spain lies just 76 kilometers away.
Morocco’s Royal Navy coast guard unit also recovered the equipment that the smugglers used to transport the illicit goods.
The patrolling officers handed over all of the recovered materials to the Royal Gendarme at the Port of Ksar al Saghir.
Although tensions between Morocco and Spain remain unstable, the trade of illegal contraband between the two countries has continued to thrive.
Morocco heightened its border control policies in February 2020 in an attempt to end the ongoing “human mule” smuggling operations between Morocco and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
Read also: Morocco to Boost Anti-Smuggling Measures amid Frustration from Ceuta, Melilla
Spain responded by threatening to require Moroccan residents of the Tetouan region to provide a visa for entry into the two cities.
After nearly a year and a half, Spain and Morocco have yet to reconcile the issues that promote illicit smuggling operations. Morocco’s Royal Navy remains committed to locating and seizing smugglers and has been especially active in the past three months.
The operation is part of Morocco’s approach to combat drug trafficking. Security services across Morocco collaborate against drug smuggling .
In 2020, Morocco’s police seized 132.167 kilograms of cocaine, 476,923 psychotropic pills, 8.501 kilograms of heroin, and more than 217 tonnes of cannabis.
