Spanish police have uncovered a technologically sophisticated underground tunnel used to smuggle tons of hashish from Morocco into the North African exclave of Ceuta. The structure, concealed beneath an industrial warehouse, featured three levels including a descent shaft, intermediate storage chamber, and the tunnel itself extending directly to Morocco.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 17 metric tons of hashish, €1.4 million in cash, and the arrest of 27 people including two suspected network leaders. One of the arrested leaders, based in Morocco, is also suspected of operating another drug tunnel that police dismantled in Ceuta last year.
The tunnel's engineering impressed investigators. At 19 meters deep, 1.2 meters high, and 80 centimeters wide, it resembled a mine with trolleys moving on a complex rail system. Cranes and pulleys were installed to lift heavy loads, while the middle level served as a preparation and storage area for hashish bales.
a maze typical of a mine
Spanish police — The New Arab
The entire structure was protected by pumping and soundproofing systems to avoid detection. Police cannot determine the tunnel's full length because sections remain flooded, according to Antonio Martinez, the officer responsible for the operation.
Sky News frames the discovery as part of Spain's broader role as a drug transit hub, emphasizing the tunnel's sophisticated engineering and Spain's dominance in EU hashish seizures. The outlet contextualizes the find within unconventional smuggling methods used across Spain.
The New Arab focuses on the tunnel's technical sophistication and maze-like structure, describing it as the work of an extremely powerful criminal organization. The outlet emphasizes Spain's strategic position between Morocco and Europe as a key factor in drug trafficking.
RFI presents the discovery as part of routine drug trafficking in the region, noting the year-long investigation and emphasizing Morocco's status as the world's main cannabis producer. The outlet highlights the seizure's scale and the tunnel's concealment methods.
Investigators began their work in February 2025, conducting operations across Ceuta and mainland Spain over several months. The network contacted other criminal groups to transport drugs using speedboats and fishing vessels, demonstrating the operation's extensive reach.
Spain serves as a major entry point for hashish into Europe, accounting for 68% of all resin seizures in the European Union in 2023. Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's Mediterranean coastal exclaves adjacent to Morocco, form the EU's only land borders with Africa.
Drug smugglers typically rely on speedboats to transport hashish across the Mediterranean. However, criminal organizations have increasingly turned to unconventional methods, including submarines and semi-submersible vessels used to transport cocaine from South America through Spain's northwestern Galicia region.
Morocco remains a top global cannabis producer, while Spain's proximity to both Morocco and Latin America positions it as a critical transit hub for European drug markets. The discovery highlights the sophisticated infrastructure criminal networks develop to maintain supply chains despite law enforcement pressure.