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The tunnel used by drug traffickers to smuggle hashish from Morocco to Ceuta, and then to mainland Spain, extends into multiple galleries, Spanish media reported on Thursday.
On the same day, the Civil Guard released a video showing the inspection of the concealed tunnel found in Ceuta, which was discovered on Wednesday. The tunnel connects an old industrial warehouse in Tarajal to the Moroccan border.
According to new information from Spanish authorities, the tunnel descends to a depth of 12 meters and stretches at least 50 meters. The structure also «extends into several galleries within Spanish territory», the sources added.
The tunnel is constructed with wood and features reduced dimensions, measuring 40 centimeters in width and 60 centimeters in height, though these measurements vary along the tunnel's length.
La Unidad de Subsuelo de la #GuardiaCivil accede al túnel hallado en Ceuta para su inspección.
— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) February 20, 2025
Tiene una profundidad de 12 metros y al menos unos 50 metros de longitud con varias galerías en territorio español. Unas medidas de 40 cm por ancho y 60 cm por alto, que varía en… pic.twitter.com/EjdeKsS1fU
Military sources disclosed to Spanish media that the tunnel was once an old sewage pipe linking the Africa Star brewery to the old Tarajal Stream.
Africa Star, founded in 1953 by Hijos de Joseph Damm as La Estrella de África SA, had an annual production capacity of 200,000 hectoliters and could bottle 5,000 containers per hour. The company exported its products to Melilla, Morocco, and other countries. However, Morocco's independence in 1956 significantly impacted its expansion plans.
The brewery had an extensive network of underground galleries, including wells that supplied water to the factory and pipes used to circulate brine (saltwater at -5 degrees) to keep the beer cold in the cellars.
Researchers suggest that one of these old pipes may have been repurposed and expanded over time to serve as a smuggling passageway.
Sources suspect that drugs were smuggled through the tunnel from Morocco, stored in the industrial warehouse, and then loaded onto trucks bound for Spain. From there, the drugs were distributed across Spain and abroad, with the Port of Algeciras being the main exit point.
