Doha – The Spanish Civil Guard has sealed an industrial warehouse in Ceuta where a tunnel allegedly built for drug smuggling from Morocco was discovered, pending investigation by Moroccan authorities on their side of the border crossing.
According to Spanish news agency EFE, the tunnel, located near the Moroccan border was discovered by Spain’s Civil Guard’s Underground Unit last Wednesday, February 19.
The infrastructure, situated in a former marble factory that has been closed for at least two years, has now been sealed to prevent access to its interior.
Civil Guard sources reported that the tunnel measures 12 meters deep and at least 50 meters in length, with several galleries in Spanish territory.
The passageway varies in dimensions, measuring approximately 40 centimeters wide and 60 centimeters high, depending on the section.
The Spanish authorities continue to work and gather evidence to determine its use as part of an ongoing investigation.
The area was cordoned off while agents conducted relevant work inside the industrial facility located in the Tarajal Industrial Park, which houses more than a hundred warehouses for various businesses.
The narrow tunnel, reinforced with wooden supports, was almost certainly constructed to smuggle drugs from Morocco.
This operation marks the third phase of the so-called “Operation Hades,” which originated from a complaint by Spain’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and is directed by National Court Judge María Tardón. The case remains open pending determination of exactly where the tunnel leads.
The discovery came during an operation targeting hashish trafficking, with the tunnel equipped with basic lighting. According to Spain’s El País newspaper, the entrance was concealed beneath a trapdoor leading to a stairway descending into the tunnel.
No drugs were found at the site and no arrests directly related to the tunnel’s discovery have been made. However, the Civil Guard believes it “could have been used to transport drugs across the border between Morocco and Spain.”
This discovery is part of a broader crackdown on drug trafficking in the region that has already resulted in 14 arrests over the past three weeks, including two Civil Guard officers and a deputy from the Ceuta Assembly who works as a prison official and belongs to the Movement for Dignity and Citizenship party (MDyC).
Authorities have also seized three trucks containing more than 6,000 kilograms of hashish in hidden compartments.
Initial hypotheses suggest that drugs were introduced through the tunnel to be subsequently loaded onto trucks that traveled to the port of Algeciras (Cádiz) for distribution throughout the peninsula or abroad.
The operation involved members of the Central Operational Unit (UCO), the Information Headquarters, the Underground Recognition Unit, Internal Affairs, and the Rapid Action Group (GAR). Agents from the Andalusia Zone and the Ceuta Command also participated.
Ceuta and Melilla, two small Spanish enclaves on North African soil, form Europe’s only land border with Africa. Earlier this year, Spain and Morocco opened customs in both enclaves to allow the transfer of goods between the two countries at the land border.
Legal authorities consulted by EFE indicated that the discovery of the tunnel could lead to new arrests as part of “Operation Hades.”
The complex planning and execution required for such underground infrastructure suggests the existence of a well-organized network with sufficient resources to carry out their illicit activities.
The Tarajal Industrial Park, due to its proximity to the Moroccan border, has been identified as a strategic point for drug smuggling. The location of this tunnel reinforces suspicions about the use of this area as a logistics center for trafficking illicit substances into Europe.
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