The Spanish National Police have seized 20 tons of hashish concealed inside boxes of green peppers in refrigerated trucks arriving from Morocco. Authorities described the operation, carried out with Morocco's General Directorate for National Security (DGSN) and under the supervision of the drug trafficking prosecutor's office in Algeciras, as one of the largest seizures of the year.
© Spanish Police
Within three days, Spanish authorities dismantled two criminal networks attempting to smuggle drugs into Europe through the Port of Algeciras. Twenty people were arrested and later jailed on charges of international drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organization.
The first operation took place on October 21, when investigators intercepted a truck on a farm in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz. The vehicle was transporting 12 tons of hashish hidden behind crates of green peppers. Several accompanying cars acted as lookouts to detect possible police checkpoints.
Three days later, police intercepted a second truck arriving from Tangier inside a warehouse in northern Granada. Officers found another 8 tons of hashish concealed within a wooden structure covered with vegetables. Five suspects were detained during this phase of the operation.
In total, police confiscated nine vehicles, including trucks, trailers, and cars, along with an automatic firearm and about US$7,500 in cash. Investigators also discovered that some of the drugs had been packaged in small, brightly colored bags resembling chocolate, a tactic believed to target younger consumers.
Source: Yabiladi
