End Game for Morocco’s "Hashish Messi"?

Last November, Spain’s national police released profiles of their ten most wanted fugitives. While six of these individuals were captured within three months, four remain at large. The recent discovery of a second underground passage used for drug trafficking at the border between Ceuta and Morocco has revived the investigation. Authorities are banking on this finding to trigger the arrest of these remaining fugitives.

On Bladi.net : Drug Trafficking: Spain Faces Explosion of Moroccan Hashish Seizures

Investigators’ attention is focused on Abdellah el Haj, better known by the nickname "Hashish Messi" because of his past in a first-division regional Andalusian football club. Wanted since 2019, this man is accused of money laundering and possession of firearms and of attempting to smuggle seven tons of cannabis resin through the Strait of Gibraltar in 2017. Although he is frequently reported in Morocco, no one has been able to apprehend him to date.

The dismantling of this new underground infrastructure directly implicates his operations. According to information reported by El Debate, phone taps of arrested suspects regularly mention Abdellah el Haj’s presence in this tunnel. Investigators are also examining his relationship with Mustafá Chairi, a Moroccan entrepreneur designated as the "narco-architect" of this structure that allowed approximately two tons of drugs per week to be introduced into Spain.

On Bladi.net : Spanish Drug Kingpin’s Right-Hand Man Sought in Morocco

The connections established by police directly link this trafficker to other major members of organized crime. The Drug Unit notably identified that a former civil guard arrested in this case met the "Hashish Messi" in December in Morocco to receive a watch. This vast operation also involves Jesús Manuel Heredia Heredia, his main disciple, as well as another major fugitive named Sergio Jesús Mora Carrasco. Spanish police hope to finalize a triple simultaneous arrest.