Spanish police said on Wednesday that they had seized 20 tonnes of cannabis hidden in refrigerated trucks carrying peppers from Morocco.
Officers stopped a truck carrying 12 tonnes of cannabis resin in false compartments behind boxes of green peppers in the southern province of Cadiz (Andalusia) on 21 October, Spain’s National Police said in a statement.
Three days later, a second truck carrying eight tonnes of the drug was intercepted near the city of Granada (Andalusia).
Both vehicles had arrived at the port of Algeciras from Tangier.
20 people were arrested on charges of drug trafficking and organised crime.
Investigators said traffickers used lookout vehicles to evade police, and some of the drugs were packaged in candy-like wrappers ‘aimed at attracting younger consumers’.
Authorities also seized nine vehicles, an automatic pistol and more than €7,000 in cash as part of the operation, which was conducted with Moroccan police.
Spain is a major entry point for drugs into Europe because of its proximity to Morocco and connections with Latin America.
Morocco is a key source of a type of cannabis resin known as hashish, and Latin America is the main source of cocaine.
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🚨 Intervenidas 20 toneladas de #hachís ocultas entre pimientos en camiones frigoríficos procedentes de #Marruecos
🔹 20 detenidos
🔹 Desarticuladas dos organizaciones criminales dedicadas al #tráfico internacional de drogas pic.twitter.com/ze3qtOsk1w— Policía Nacional (@policia) October 29, 2025
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