Underground hashish rail route from Morocco smashed by Spanish police

Mohan Sinha
03 Apr 2026, 01:15 GMT+10

A tunnel in the North African exclave of Ceuta, complete with a rail system and underground cranes used to smuggle hashish from Morocco into Spain, was busted by the Spanish police
In a statement on March 31, the police said the structure, which was concealed beneath an industrial warehouse, extended over three levels, including a descent shaft, an intermediate chamber for pallet storage, and the tunnel itself
Spain is one of the main entry points for hashish coming into Europe

MADRID, Spain: A tunnel in the North African exclave of Ceuta, complete with a rail system and underground cranes used to smuggle hashish from Morocco into Spain, was busted by the Spanish police.

In a statement on March 31, the police said the structure, which was concealed beneath an industrial warehouse, extended over three levels, including a descent shaft, an intermediate chamber for pallet storage, and the tunnel itself.

Spain is one of the main entry points for hashish coming into Europe. Ceuta, along with Melilla, is a Spanish territory in North Africa and forms the European Union's only land border with Africa.

During the operation, authorities seized 17 metric tons of hashish, 1.4 million euros (US$1.6 million) in cash, and arrested 27 people. Police did not say how much the drugs were worth on the street.

Hashish, which comes from cannabis resin, is usually smuggled into Spain by sea using speedboats.

In 2023, Spain was responsible for 68 percent of all hashish seizures in the European Union, according to official data.

Smugglers have also used unusual methods to bring other drugs into Spain. In the northwestern region of Galicia, submarines or semi-submersible vessels have been found carrying cocaine from South America, showing Spain's role as a key transit point for drug trafficking.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Cape Town Express.

More Information

International

Section

Underground hashish rail route from Morocco smashed by Spanish police

MADRID, Spain: A tunnel in the North African exclave of Ceuta, complete with a rail system and underground cranes used to smuggle...

‘Orgasmic meditation’ company founder gets 9 years in jail

NEW YORK CITY, New York: The leader of a sex-focused women's wellness company that promoted orgasmic meditation was on March 30 handed...

US reopens embassy in Venezuelan capital after seven-year closure

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Following the Trump administration's ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January, the United States...

Iranian leader writes to people of U.S. - Full Text

Full text of letter pubiished 1 Aoril 2026 by Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian To the people of the United States of America,...

Dispute at South Sudan gold mine leads to killing of 70 people

JUBA, South Sudan: A gold mining row on the outskirts of the capital over the weekend led to gunmen massacring more than 70 people...

Kuwait airport, tanker off Qatar bombed by Iran

DUBAI, U.A.E.: Iran continued its attacks on its Middle East Arab neighbors, hitting a tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait International...

South Africa

Section