The ongoing investigations by Spanish police into secret tunnels used for smuggling cannabis from Morocco to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave, and subsequently into Europe, have revealed new information regarding a scheme designed to mislead justice authorities. This scheme involved the use of the identity of a deceased individual to deflect suspicion away from the main suspect linked to the marble warehouse where the first smuggling tunnel was discovered.
Reports indicate that the investigations have implicated a Moroccan drug lord known as "Abdullah Al-Hajj Al-Sadiq" in a network of tunnels facilitating cannabis trafficking from Morocco to Spain and further into various European countries. Recently, plans for the construction of a third secret tunnel aimed at establishing a continuous route for cannabis smuggling to Ceuta have come to light. According to local media in Ceuta, citing information from Spanish police, the primary suspect overseeing the warehouse remains at large despite an arrest warrant and a judicial order for his imprisonment issued by Spanish authorities.
Investigative data reveals that members of the smuggling network were discussing, in intercepted phone conversations, the acquisition of identification documents belonging to either a deceased individual or someone unknown to authorities. These documents were intended for use in preparing contracts and paperwork related to the warehouse that hosted the first secret tunnel. The investigation suggests that the plan aimed to present the warehouse as being rented under a third party’s name, rather than being under the control of the main suspect, thereby attempting to absolve him of responsibility for the large-scale drug trafficking operations targeting Ceuta and, subsequently, southern Spain and Europe. However, these attempts were thwarted by swift action from Spanish security forces, which resulted in the dismantling of significant components of the network and the arrest of several individuals, alongside the discovery of a second tunnel and the initiation of investigations into a third tunnel that was under construction.
Spanish authorities have confirmed that these tunnels constituted a complex logistical infrastructure that had been utilized for years to smuggle cannabis from Morocco to Ceuta, marking one of the most significant smuggling cases in the region in recent years.
New Security Operations Against Drug Trafficking Networks from Morocco
Efforts by Moroccan networks to inundate Spain with drugs continue unabated. Recently, law enforcement agencies executed three operations targeting cannabis traffickers from Morocco to Ceuta, resulting in the seizure of significant quantities of drugs and the arrest of several individuals implicated in these activities.
In this context, the Spanish Civil Guard successfully thwarted a drug smuggling operation originating from Morocco, which was en route from Ceuta to Algeciras. This was achieved after the arrest of an individual driving a vehicle loaded with cannabis, which was cleverly hidden within the compartments of the vehicle's tires, an attempt to evade detection by security checks.
According to media reports, the suspected network employs a meticulous strategy of specially outfitting vehicles to conceal drugs within the tires, aiming to avoid detection by the Civil Guard's canine units. Furthermore, Spanish authorities in Ceuta have also intercepted a substantial cannabis shipment intended for entry into the city via swimming from the Moroccan coast, following the identification of the suspect using thermal surveillance systems near the Tarajal area.
Local media sources reported that a Civil Guard patrol quickly intervened to apprehend the individual, who was found carrying a backpack containing a significant amount of cannabis. This swimming smuggling method has increasingly become a common tactic employed by some traffickers, especially given the heightened surveillance at conventional land and sea crossings. In a related development, local police in Ceuta apprehended two individuals on a motorcycle after discovering a quantity of cannabis during a routine field inspection aimed at enhancing road safety and combating drug trafficking.
As reported by aps.dz.
