The recent seizure of 75.1 tons of hashish in the Spanish province of Cádiz over the past year has starkly highlighted the scale of drug flows originating from Morocco across the Mediterranean. This alarming situation has been exacerbated by the involvement of Moroccan nationals in criminal networks that are active in transporting, storing, and distributing these narcotics throughout Europe. As a result, the Moroccan authorities are facing mounting pressure regarding the implications of this growing phenomenon and its consequences for countries on the northern shore of the Mediterranean.
Detailed insights into these drug flows have emerged from data released by the Spanish newspaper "Europa Sur," based on information from the Spanish Center for Intelligence Against Terrorism and Organized Crime. The authorities in Cádiz reported the confiscation of approximately 75.1 tons of cannabis resin in 2025, out of a total of 198 tons seized across various regions of Spain. Additionally, cocaine seizures in the province amounted to 8.3 tons, representing nearly one-third of the total quantity confiscated nationwide, alongside 1,019 arrests related to drug offenses.
This alarming statistic not only underscores the magnitude of drug seizures but also reveals the expanding routes of hashish trafficking from Morocco to Spain, fueled by cross-border smuggling networks that reinvest the proceeds into a parallel drug economy. This persistent issue has been met with indifference from Moroccan authorities, despite the severe repercussions it poses for countries across the sea.
In a recent incident, the first division of the Spanish Civil Guard's customs and border police successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 10.2 kilograms of hashish from Morocco at the port of Ceuta. The authorities apprehended a Moroccan national residing in France who was preparing to board a ferry bound for Algeciras.
Further evidence of this extensive criminal activity was observed in Italy, where law enforcement has identified cross-border networks involved in drug trafficking. Italian Carabinieri recently arrested a Moroccan man and woman in an area between Capaccio Paestum and Eboli (in southern Italy) for their involvement in drug possession with the intent to distribute as part of a transnational criminal operation. According to the Italian media outlet "La Milano," investigators found approximately 2.4 kilograms of cocaine and crack cocaine within their vehicle, and subsequent searches of their residences uncovered additional quantities of hashish from Morocco, marijuana, heroin, and various forms of cocaine.
This operation also revealed the networks' involvement in arms possession, with Italian authorities seizing three firearms and 280 rounds of ammunition, implicating a Moroccan individual in the process. In another operation in northwestern Italy, authorities arrested a Moroccan national in Albenga for his role in cocaine distribution. A three-month investigation reported by "La Repubblica" unveiled a significant drug trafficking operation in the Albenga plain, leading to legal action against the suspect who was identified as part of criminal networks distributing large quantities of cocaine and heroin.
These incidents demonstrate that the criminal activity extends far beyond hashish transportation; it encompasses cross-border networks involving Moroccan nationals, whose roles vary from transportation and storage to distribution and promotion. This diversification into various types of narcotics has made drug profits one of the primary sources of funding for these illicit enterprises.
As reported by entv.dz.
