"Chestnut Brothers" Drug Kingpins Face Trial for Massive Morocco-Spain Cannabis Trafficking

In total, 17 defendants who are said to have been involved in a colossal cannabis trafficking operation between Morocco and Spain are being tried as part of this trial. The two main defendants are Francisco and Antonio Tejón, nicknamed "los Hermanos Castaña" [the chestnut brothers]. According to the investigators, they are the biggest hashish traffickers in the Gibraltar region because they controlled 70% of the goods that transited between the two countries and have been running six different distribution groups for years, according to France info. In total, more than a hundred thousand kilos seized each year.

The arrest of the two main defendants dates back to 2018. They had escaped the police in 2016 after a mole had warned them of their imminent arrest. They had taken refuge in Morocco. Antonio had nonetheless been arrested, before being released. The patrimony of the chestnut brothers is estimated at 30 million euros. They laundered the "dirty" money through a recycling company, a swingers club, more traditional bars and restaurants they had created, or through the lottery. It was only after the arrest of these biggest cannabis resin traffickers in the Gibraltar region that the Spanish authorities managed to arrest 15 other people, accomplices, including three police officers. Several quantities of drugs were also seized.

On April 18, only one of the defendants was absent from the trial. The prosecutor requested 20 years in prison for each of the "chestnut brothers". The hearings will continue until June.