Spanish authorities, collaborating with Moroccan and French counterparts, have intercepted a hashish shipment smuggled into Spain from Morocco, seizing over 15 tons hidden in a truck loaded with watermelons.
The truck, arriving at Almería port, was halted by Spain's national police. Officers uncovered 13.3 tons of hashish concealed between watermelon pallets and inside disguised fake sweet potatoes. This operation, resulting in the arrest of five individuals, including the truck driver, was facilitated by months of international cooperation. Suspects face charges of criminal organization affiliation and drug trafficking and have been placed in pretrial detention.
© Spanish Police Department
A statement from Spanish police detailed that the raid was coordinated with Morocco's General Directorate of National Security and France's OFAST. The investigation commenced in early June following OFAST's alert regarding a Spanish-Moroccan network trafficking hashish into Europe. Investigators determined that the network planned to use a semi-trailer truck for smuggling drugs via Almería, leveraging agricultural shipment flows from Morocco to Spain for concealment.
Authorities tracked the truck to a warehouse, uncovering hashish hidden among watermelon pallets and sacks resembling sweet potatoes, designed as hollow containers to conceal drugs. The operation is viewed by Spanish authorities as a case of cross-border cooperation against organized crime.
Source: Morocco World News
