Rabat – The Spanish National Police announced on Wednesday the dismantling of two international criminal organizations involved in large-scale hashish trafficking, in a joint operation conducted with Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).

The joint operation arrested 20 suspects and seized over 22 tons of hashish hidden among shipments of green peppers transported from Morocco to Spain through the Port of Algeciras, in the province of Cádiz.

According to a statement from the Spanish police, the coordinated effort was carried out with the support of the Tangier court of appeal’s public prosecutor’s office. 

The investigation began following intelligence shared by Moroccan authorities, which led to the identification of two refrigerated truck convoys suspected of transporting large quantities of drugs.

The first convoy was intercepted in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz, where officers discovered 12 tons of hashish concealed in double compartments behind boxes of peppers. 

A total of 15 individuals were arrested during this phase of the operation. Three days later, another raid in the province of Granada resulted in the seizure of an additional 8 tons and the arrest of five more suspects. 

In total, 20 people have been detained on charges of trafficking drugs and being a member of a criminal organization. 

Police also confiscated nine vehicles, including trucks and trailers, one automatic weapon, and more than €7,000 in cash.

The Spanish National Police commended the “valuable collaboration” of Moroccan authorities, noting that the success of the operation shows “the excellence of security cooperation between Morocco and Spain, based on mutual trust, effective coordination, and a shared commitment to dismantling transnational criminal networks involved in drug trafficking.”