Madrid - A recent Spanish security report has highlighted the significant threat posed by international drug trafficking networks, particularly focusing on the advanced technologies employed to smuggle cannabis from Morocco into Europe. These sophisticated methods are designed to evade the efforts of Spanish security agencies that are actively working to dismantle the operations of these criminal organizations.
According to the report compiled by the Spanish police's drug and organized crime unit, which has been circulated by local media sources, a secret tunnel discovered at the end of March was engineered with advanced technical and logistical equipment that facilitates the organized transport, storage, and processing of drug shipments. The clandestine facility, uncovered within warehouses in the 'Tarajal' area, features multiple underground levels, complete with electrical installations, water drainage pumps, and elevators specifically designed for transporting goods between different floors.
The investigation revealed that among the findings was a soundproof room believed to be used for packaging drugs using vacuum sealing technology, alongside a refrigerated storage space, a secret laboratory, and surveillance cameras to monitor activity within the facility. The report indicates that investigations are ongoing to identify all potential individuals involved in this network through the analysis of biological traces and technical evidence collected from the site. It is suspected that the criminal organization had relied on specialists in tunnel excavation and underground construction to create this complex structure, described as one of the most advanced secret facilities in drug trafficking cases in Spain.
Notably, the tunnel extends up to 19 meters deep and connects to a horizontal passage leading to the Moroccan side, with the distance between the warehouses and the border area being merely 25 meters.
Crackdown on Moroccan Criminal Networks
Since the beginning of this month, authorities have uncovered plans for a third tunnel project in the 'Pyrucal' area, located close to the border fence. Elements of the criminal network associated with these tunnels are reportedly attempting to persuade a marble workshop tenant, previously used as a front to conceal one of the tunnels, to surrender to authorities and provide a pre-prepared testimony, as investigations have revealed. Furthermore, there are indications that efforts were made to shift blame onto an individual who had previously cooperated with authorities and contributed to the discovery of the first smuggling tunnel, aiming to present him as a front to bear the consequences of smuggling tons of cannabis into the city of Ceuta. Additionally, a scheme to use the identity of a deceased person to divert suspicion away from the main individual responsible for the marble warehouse, which housed the first smuggling tunnel, has also been uncovered.
The advanced technological arsenal relied upon by international drug trafficking networks has garnered significant attention from various European media outlets, particularly concerning the use of drones and remotely operated submarines that enable the transport of large quantities of drugs in a short period. This represents a 'dangerous shift' in the trade of these narcotics, which the 'Kingdom of Cannabis' depends on to finance its economy.
Since the beginning of this year, Spanish authorities have dealt severe blows to international drug trafficking networks, dismantling at least 11 Moroccan criminal organizations and seizing dozens of tons of drugs.
As reported by aps.dz.
