Spain arrests eight in Morocco to France drone drug smuggling ring

The Spanish National Police have arrested eight people after dismantling a criminal network operating between the provinces of Cádiz and Álava, specializing in smuggling drugs from Morocco to France through Spain using drones.

Police said in a statement that investigations launched last year as part of an operation dubbed “Horus” revealed that members of the network had been using fixed-wing drones to fly shipments of hashish and cocaine from Morocco into Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar.

According to the same source, once the drugs arrived in Spain, they were hidden inside vehicles fitted with sophisticated concealed compartments before being transported to the city of Vitoria in the Basque Country, where they were handed over to French criminal networks specializing in drug trafficking.

During the investigation, security forces seized one of the drones used in the smuggling operations. Equipped with four engines and capable of carrying loads of up to 20 kilograms, the aircraft could cross the distance between Morocco and Spain in a matter of minutes at speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour.

The operation led to five simultaneous raids in the cities of Algeciras and Vitoria, resulting in the arrest of eight suspects. Police also seized 40 kilograms of hashish, two kilograms of cocaine, two vehicles used to transport the drugs, and €14,000 in cash.