Spanish Police Intercept 3 Moroccans with 1.64 Tonnes of Cannabis

Rabat – Spanish authorities intercepted three Moroccans carrying 1.64 tonnes of cannabis resin on board an inflatable boat off Tenerife, a Spanish island near West Africa.

The boat was found 14 kilometers off the island by a helicopter of the Guardia Civil, reports Karanermarkt, adding that authorities spotted three individuals onboard.

The smugglers, two men aged 32 and 36 and a 16-year-old, threw 46 bales of 1.640 tonnes of cannabis into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after noticing the Coast Guard ship, according to the report.

The three individuals tried to flee but were quickly caught by the Spanish police, while divers fished the drugs out of the Atlantic.

Intercepted on New Year’s Eve, the smugglers were brought before the competent court of Santa Cruz in Tenerife.

As routes and borders are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, drug traffickers from Morocco look for other alternatives and circuitous ways to transfer cannabis abroad.

The latest annual report by Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) said that security services handled 82,950 cases related to possession and trafficking of drugs in 2021.

According to DGSN data, police referred 103,589 of the arrested people to courts, including 261 foreigners.

The annual report outlined an increase in seized cocaine, while the amount of hashish seized in 2021 represents a decrease of 12% compared to 2020. Moroccan authorities seized 191 tons and 158 kilograms of cannabis last year.