HIBAPRESS – Mohamed Zariouh
Spanish security authorities have succeeded in delivering a severe blow to international smuggling networks by dismantling a criminal organization specializing in transporting "hashish" drugs from the Rif coast, north of Morocco, to southern Spain.
This joint operation between the Civil Guard and customs control services resulted in the arrest of ten people, a step that comes to strengthen security efforts aimed at drying up the sources of drug trafficking across the Mediterranean. The investigations indicated that the operation, which was codenamed Phoenix, began in December 2025, after monitoring suspicious movements of an organization active on the eastern coasts of the Granada region. The criminal plan revealed that the network relied on speedboats to transport shipments from Morocco, then store them in safe locations before redistributing them in various European markets. The decisive security intervention came after a tight ambush that targeted a speedboat spotted by the coastal surveillance system as it approached the shore to unload its cargo. Despite the network members' attempt to escape, leaving behind part of the shipment, security vigilance enabled the seizure of 72 packages of hashish, with a total weight of about three tons, which was on its way to being promoted within the Old Continent. The raid and search operations included seven vital sites distributed between Granada and Almeria, where the seizures were not limited to narcotic substances only, but also included an arsenal of firearms, including a modified rifle and two pistols, in addition to seizing seven cars (two of which were stolen). Properties and financial assets worth more than 500,000 euros were also frozen, which are suspected to be the result of money laundering operations. At the conclusion of the judicial procedure, the detainees were charged with serious charges related to international drug trafficking, belonging to a criminal organization, and illegal possession of weapons. The Spanish judiciary decided to imprison five of the main defendants pending precautionary detention, while investigations continue to reveal potential extensions of this network at the local and international levels.
