Morocco-Spain hashish smuggling ring smashed

 
Spanish police arrests 17 people in drug smuggling ring using helicopter to bring hashish from Morocco into Spain.

 
MADRID - Spanish police arrested 17 people in an operation against a drug smuggling ring that used a helicopter to bring large amounts of hashish from Morocco into Spain, authorities said Tuesday.

"As a cover for their illegal activities and to obtain the necessary flight authorisations, the organisation ran a helicopter services company which, under the pretext of carrying out photo shoots, transported drugs," police said in a statement.

The group also used high-speed boats to transport hashish to Spain from Morocco.

Police seized 2,720 kilos (5,984 pounds) of hashish, a helicopter, nine vehicles, electrical equipment and 20,000 euros (28,000 dollars) in cash as part of the operation which got underway late last year.

Spain, with its extensive coastline, is Europe's main point of entry for Moroccan cannabis, from which hashish is produced, and for cocaine from South America, mostly from Colombia, the world's top producer of the drug.

Morocco is a top producer of hashish. Last year Moroccan police seized 110.8 tonnes of hashish against 117.7 tonnes in 2007, a drop of five percent.

---

Print

Printer Friendly Version