On Thursday, Spanish police announced the dismantling of a drug trafficking network that was transporting cannabis from Morocco to Spain.
The criminal organization was dismantled in Algeciras, located in the southernmost part of Spain, and was reportedly involved in introducing hashish into the country via drones, according to a statement from the national police.
These drones, capable of carrying up to 10 kilograms of drugs per trip, were “transported by road to the southern part of the country,” the statement noted, adding that ten individuals were arrested, seven of whom have been placed in provisional detention.
According to the police, these large, homemade drones allowed the suspects to “traverse the distance between Morocco and Spain by flying over the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar and return after dropping off the drugs without needing to land.”
The northern coast of Africa and the southern coast of Europe are separated by only about 13 kilometers at the Strait of Gibraltar, which divides the Spanish town of Tarifa from Point Cires in Morocco.
During the operation, three drones were confiscated, including one still under construction, along with remote control devices, repair tools, and “significant amounts of cash and drugs” believed to have been smuggled into Spain via drone.
Due to its geographical proximity to Morocco, the primary production site for cannabis resin, Spain serves as the entry point for the majority of this substance sold in Europe.
Morocco frequently emerges in discussions regarding drug and human trafficking to Europe, particularly through Spain.
In its 2023 report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) expressed alarm over the scale of illegal cannabis activities and various drug-related crimes in Morocco, labeling it “the hub of drug trafficking and kif in the world.”
A study by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, an independent network, estimated Morocco’s annual cannabis production to exceed 700 tons, valued at $23 billion.
As the leading global producer of cannabis, Morocco increasingly relies on trafficking to generate revenue and alleviate tensions in the Rif region, particularly in the overcrowded and impoverished provinces of Al-Hoceima, Chefchaouen, and Taounate, which depend heavily on cannabis cultivation.
