In Sebta, a strange Moroccan drone appears at the worst possible moment for Spanish police chiefs

The aircraft was observed on September 9 in the Tarajal area, during the visit of the director general of the National Police, Francisco Pardo, and the director general of the Guardia Civil, Mercedes González.

The two officials were inspecting the land border and the temporary reception center for foreigners following the mass crossings of July 30 and 31 in Sebta. Spanish forces had also deployed their own drones to monitor and film the area.

It was during this visit that a drone described as Moroccan by the Spanish press appeared on the other side of the border. Several officers then noticed what appeared to be a cable suspended beneath the aircraft, reports ABC.

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The police sources interviewed said they had never observed this type of device on the drones normally used by their Moroccan counterparts. Its presence during a particularly sensitive visit therefore quickly fueled questions.

A tethered drone rather than an aircraft guided by fiber optics?

The presence of a cable may indicate a tethered drone, physically connected to a ground station. This link can be used to supply the aircraft with electricity and, depending on the model, to transmit commands and images without relying entirely on radio communications.

Such a configuration allows a drone to remain airborne for a long time and can make it less vulnerable to certain forms of electronic jamming. However, it should not be confused with military drones guided by fiber optics, which trail a very thin wire behind them throughout their movement.

Moroccan authorities regularly use drones to monitor the border. Spanish services do the same to detect gatherings and anticipate crossing attempts. The unusual element is therefore less the presence of the drone than that of the visible device beneath its fuselage.

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The episode comes as the Spanish judiciary is still seeking to establish who had access to the various alerts before the mass arrivals in July. In this context, any unusual activity around the border is now receiving increased attention.