In one week, Spanish authorities have dealt a major blow to international drug trafficking by dismantling two major criminal networks operating between Spain and Morocco. These large-scale operations have highlighted the growing sophistication of the methods used by Moroccan traffickers and the scale of the illicit drug trade in the region.
Drug trafficking run by Moroccans in Spain is a growing business. But it has recently suffered a setback. In a first operation called “Gemelo”, the Spanish Civil Guard dismantled an organized criminal group that was transporting cocaine from southern Spain to Morocco via Melilla. The modus operandi of this network was particularly ingenious: the drugs were hidden in sophisticated false bottoms of high-end vehicles, equipped with remote electronic opening systems to evade controls.
The investigation, which began last year, revealed that the mastermind of the operation was based in Motril, where a father and son ran a business selling vehicles imported from Germany and the Netherlands, specially modified for transporting drugs. The ports of Malaga, Algeciras, Motril and Almeria served as departure points for the cocaine to Melilla, before it was introduced into Morocco.
13 arrests and 36 vehicles confiscated
The operation resulted in impressive results: 13 arrests, the seizure of 37.5 kilos of cocaine worth an estimated €1.2 million, as well as the confiscation of assets valued at over €1 million, including 36 vehicles, two homes, and the freezing of 35 bank accounts. The suspects, of Spanish and Moroccan nationality, all had criminal records.
Last April, Spanish police had already seized 25 tons of hashish in a joint operation with their Moroccan counterparts. A cooperation that followed a strong remonstrance from the Spanish judiciary, which complained about Morocco’s lack of cooperation. An exit that apparently had an effect!
A group that had been thriving for about ten years
Meanwhile, last week in Barcelona, authorities shut down the activities of another major network. This one was considered to be ” the most powerful and efficient ” in the introduction of cannabis into Catalonia for a decade. This group would have managed to transport the drug via the rivers, beaches, rivers and ports of the region, with a frequency of one delivery every two weeks.
This second operation led to the arrest of 40 people and the seizure of more than 18 tons of drugs, estimated at 36 million euros, as well as several firearms. The searches, carried out by more than 200 police officers, took place in various cities in Catalonia, but also in Malaga and Zaragoza, revealing the geographical extent of the network.
The investigation also uncovered a Malaga-based complicit organisation responsible for distributing drugs on the Catalan coast. Eight members of this group were arrested, five in Malaga, two in Zaragoza and one on the border between the two countries, in Melilla.
These operations demonstrate the intensification of efforts by the Spanish authorities in the fight against cross-border drug trafficking. They also highlight the need for increased international cooperation to counter these increasingly sophisticated and extensive criminal networks.
