Updated March 31, 2026 — CBS/AFP
Spanish police announced they have uncovered a sprawling, technologically advanced underground tunnel used to smuggle large quantities of hashish from Morocco into the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta and onward into Europe. The structure was concealed beneath a warehouse and extended across three levels, investigators said.
Authorities described a descent shaft, a lower chamber that connected directly toward Morocco, and a middle level used to prepare and store bales of hashish. The tunnel included pumping and soundproofing systems intended to keep operations running without attracting attention. The lowest section was likened to a small mine, with trolleys running on a rail system and a network of cranes and pulleys to lift heavy loads between levels.
Officers said parts of the tunnel were between 19 and 62 feet deep. The passage measured roughly four feet high and nearly three feet wide. Flooding in some sections prevented investigators from determining the tunnel’s full length. Police released video showing the raid and evidence recovered inside the structure.
The investigation, which began in February 2025, led to months of coordinated operations in Ceuta and mainland Spain. Authorities seized more than 17 tons of hashish, about $1.6 million in cash, and arrested 27 people. Among those detained were two suspected leaders: one based in Morocco described by police as the mastermind and designer of the tunnel system, and another based in Ceuta who owned the seized drugs. The Morocco-based suspect is also believed to have been involved in a separate tunnel dismantled in Ceuta last year.
Police said the tunnel was purpose-built by a powerful criminal organization that coordinated with other groups to move drugs by speedboats and fishing vessels.
Spain’s geographic position — its proximity to Morocco, a major cannabis producer, and strong links with Latin America — makes it a primary entry point for narcotics into Europe. The Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, bordering Morocco, form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa, and maritime routes are frequently used by smugglers.
Authorities noted this case follows a series of major drug busts in recent years: in 2023 Spain accounted for a large share of the EU’s hashish seizures, according to EU drugs agency figures cited by Reuters; earlier this year police uncovered a ring that used swimmers to transfer Colombian cocaine onto Europe-bound container ships; and last year investigators dismantled a group using high-speed narco boats to move cocaine from Brazil and Colombia to the Canary Islands, reportedly using an abandoned shipwreck as a refueling platform.