Moroccan-Dutch suspect allegedly co-ran massive Morocco–Spain drug tunnel network
Spanish National Police reported that a large and highly sophisticated drug network dismantled in late March used an underground tunnel in Ceuta to move hashish and was co-led by a Moroccan-born Dutch man and a Moroccan businessman.
The operation, completed March 31, 2026, led to 27 arrests and the seizure of about 17 tons of hashish, 1.4 million euros in cash and 15 luxury vehicles after coordinated raids across Ceuta and multiple regions of Spain involving more than 250 officers.
Investigators said the tunnel was discovered in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, and was used to transport hashish between Morocco and Spain. It was concealed behind a large soundproof refrigerator inside an industrial warehouse and built with three levels: a vertical shaft for descent, a middle storage chamber for packaged drugs, and a lower passage leading toward Morocco.
Police said the structure included rails, wagons, pulley systems, and small cranes designed to move drugs efficiently underground. The system was described as part of a broader, highly organized logistics operation that also used fishing vessels, high-speed boats, and trucks to move drugs between North Africa and Europe. Authorities also said corrupt officials and port workers were bribed to facilitate shipments.
According to investigators cited in Spanish media, the criminal network was capable of moving around 2,000 kilograms of hashish per week through the tunnel alone. The group allegedly operated from Ceuta but had connections across Spain and parts of Europe.
Police identified two main leaders. One was a Moroccan businessman known by an alias, described as the “architect” and “boss of the tunnels,” who allegedly had already been linked to an earlier tunnel discovered the previous year. The second was a Moroccan-born Dutch man, identified by investigators as co-leader of the network and owner of a pastry business.
Investigators say the Dutch-linked suspect was involved in coordinating large-scale shipments, including a major transport from Tangier to Almería in southern Spain, where 15,000 kilograms of hashish were hidden inside a truck among watermelons and potatoes.
During intercepted communications cited by investigators, the Dutch-linked suspect expressed concern that the shipment was at risk of a police intervention and urged that the transport be stopped and left behind. Despite his concerns, the shipment proceeded and was later intercepted by Spanish authorities in Almería, resulting in arrests of three individuals.
Police said the organization had been under surveillance since early 2025, with intermittent arrests and seizures preceding the discovery of the tunnel. In November, officers intercepted 480 kilograms of hashish during a vehicle pursuit in Málaga, while earlier seizures included 510 kilograms linked to a house fire in Ceuta and 432 kilograms in another location in southern Spain.
Investigators said the tunnel was discovered on March 26 after months of monitoring. Subsequent raids targeted 29 locations across Ceuta, Málaga (Marbella), Huelva (Villablanca), Cádiz (Los Barrios), and Pontevedra, where additional drugs and evidence were seized.
Authorities said the network represented a “very powerful” and highly organized trafficking system, with the tunnel functioning as a central artery in a wider smuggling empire spanning Morocco, Spain, and parts of Europe.
