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Join on Telegram Denver – Spanish National Police reported the arrest of two individuals off the coast of Spain carrying nearly 700 kilograms of hashish from Morocco.
National Police conducted a raid on a yacht, where the hashish was discovered stowed in 30 canisters of gasoline. In a brief video, investigators can be seen drilling into the containers and extracting large bundles of the cannabis product.
According to Spanish officials, the latest arrest was part of an ongoing operation, as authorities worked to dismantle a transnational drug smuggling ring operating in the area. In previous raids against the criminal network, police arrested twelve individuals and recovered 843 kilograms of hashish.
Police reported the investigation began over two years ago, after reports of a hashish smuggling gang operating from Costa del Sol, southern Spain. The gang reportedly consisted of individuals of “Franco-Moroccan origin,” according to Spanish media. The group primarily focused on moving the contraband from Morocco to Spain in yachts to avoid detection from patrolling law enforcement.
An initial investigation was launched in October 2020 after Spanish authorities spotted a suspicious vessel on their patrol. After attempting to pursue the boat, officers reported individuals throwing containers of gasoline in the water before docking the boat ashore and fleeing on foot. In this encounter, police reportedly found 222 kilograms of hashish stowed in gasoline containers.
During the next encounter with the organization, investigators apprehended a boat with 621 kilograms of hashish. After searching the detained individuals, police found a map with specific geographic coordinates. Police reported another individual detained on land also had a matching map, indicating predetermined plans for the group to conduct a transfer of the product.
In the latest operation against the group, police stated the boat was observed en route to Morocco’s northern coast. Law enforcement stated the boat began its clandestine trip after nightfall to take advantage of the cover of darkness.
Officers immediately discovered the 680 kilograms of hashish after boarding the vessel; they also seized $1,678 of suspected narcotics-related funds. Spanish authorities reported the two individuals arrested during the latest operation were of British and Dutch origin.
The interception of transnational drug organizations continues to be a top problem for authorities on both sides of the Spain-Morocco border. In 2020 alone, Morocco’s police force reported the arrest of 97,564 individuals for offenses related to international drug smuggling.
