Agadir – The Spanish Civil Guard announced today the seizure of nearly 4.8 tons of hashish during a coordinated maritime operation with Moroccan Royal Gendarmerie units in the Strait of Gibraltar.
According to the Spanish Civil Guard, the operation was launched after authorities detected a high-speed semi-rigid boat suspected of transporting a large shipment of drugs across the maritime corridor.
Spanish maritime, land, and air assets were deployed to track the vessel as it attempted to flee. During the pursuit, the suspects began throwing part of the cargo overboard in an effort to reduce weight and increase speed.
Initial recovery efforts led to the seizure of 32 bales of hashish, weighing around 1,200 kilograms.
As the chase continued and the vessel approached waters near Morocco, coordination was established with Moroccan maritime units and the Royal Gendarmerie. Moroccan forces were mobilized to keep pressure on the boat and prevent it from escaping, according to the same source.
The sustained joint pursuit reportedly forced the traffickers to abandon the remaining cargo at sea. Moroccan authorities later recovered 89 additional bales, weighing an estimated 3,577 kilograms.
In total, 121 bales of hashish were seized, with an overall estimated weight of approximately 4,777 kilograms.
The operation is part of ongoing bilateral efforts between Morocco and Spain to combat drug trafficking networks operating across the Strait of Gibraltar, a key transit route for illicit shipments.
Early this year, Moroccan and Spanish police carried out a coordinated counter-narcotics operation in which intelligence provided by Morocco’s General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST) helped Spanish authorities intercept a large hashish trafficking attempt in the Canary Islands.
The operation led to the seizure of approximately 877 kilograms of hashish after the suspected shipment was identified and disrupted through joint information-sharing and maritime enforcement efforts between the two sides.
Morocco, Spain Seize Nearly 4.8 Tons of Hashish in Joint Strait of Gibraltar Operation
