Moroccan Hashish Smugglers Shift Routes to Catalan Coast Amid Crackdown

The Catalan coast is being overrun by "narco-boats" loaded with hashish from Morocco due to the police pressure against drug trafficking networks in the Strait of Gibraltar. This influx of narco-boats on the Catalan coast is not a new phenomenon, explains Toni Salleres, inspector and head of the central area of organized crime of the Mossos d’Esquadra, to El Taquigrafo, recalling that Catalonia had experienced a similar situation between 2003 and 2008.

"The police pressure in the south of the peninsula has surely forced these organizations to reactivate their maritime routes and their logistics centers in Catalonia. Until now, the hashish traffic was the same, but by land. Now, the maritime route has been a priority again, allowing a practically direct connection from Morocco," said the inspector during a press conference.

This year, some 38 investigations related to hashish trafficking networks have been opened in Catalonia and have led to the seizure of 11,685 kilos of this drug and the arrest of 912 people. Since 2018, the Mossos d’Esquadra have seized more than 40 tons of hashish, most of which (56%) by sea. "The AP-7 highway is the preferred route for drug traffickers. And not just for hashish. It’s a fast road that connects the peninsula to the rest of Europe," Salleras explained.

The increase in the arrival of narco-boats has also led to an increase in clashes between rival gangs. Already 13 violent incidents between hashish trafficking networks have been recorded this year, compared to 7 in 2022.