Spain’s National Police have dismantled a major international drug trafficking network after uncovering a highly sophisticated underground tunnel system in the North African exclave of Ceuta.
The tunnel had a rail system and underground cranes to transport tonnes of hashish from Morocco into Spain.
Spain is a major entry point for hashish into Europe. Ceuta, along with the other Spanish exclave of Melilla to the east, forms the European Union’s only land border with Africa.
The tunnel, hidden beneath an industrial warehouse and concealed behind a large soundproof refrigerator, featured a complex three-level structure: a vertical access shaft, an intermediate storage chamber, and a final passage connecting directly to Morocco. Investigators said the system was designed to move large quantities of drugs without direct visual contact between those involved in the operation.
Equipped with rails, wagons, pulleys and cranes, the tunnel allowed traffickers to transport pallets of hashish efficiently and discreetly. The intermediate chamber — described by officers as a ‘narco pantry’ — was used to store and prepare bales before they were lifted to the surface. The lower levels extended into a labyrinth resembling a mining system, with engineered rail tracks enabling the movement of heavy loads.
To keep the tunnel operational, the network installed powerful water pumps to deal with underground water deposits, as well as advanced soundproofing systems that ensured the infrastructure could function undetected.
The discovery followed months of investigation into what police described as a ‘network of networks’ dedicated to hashish trafficking. The operation began in February 2025, targeting a Ceuta-based organisation capable of transporting large quantities of drugs to mainland Spain and across Europe.
Investigators identified two key leaders: one based in Morocco — arrested on the night of 26 March — described as the group’s ‘narco-architect’ and ¡tunnel master’, and believed to be behind another similar tunnel discovered last year; and a second figure in Ceuta, responsible for negotiating shipments and overseeing the distribution of the seized drugs.
The investigation gathered pace after a house fire in Ceuta’s Príncipe district led to the seizure of 510 kg of hashish and revealed links to the group’s logistics network. In subsequent months, the organisation demonstrated its capacity for large-scale transport, including the interception of 432 kg in Ceuta and a major seizure of 15 tonnes in Almería (Andalusia) from a lorry arriving from Nador (Morocco).
Police also uncovered the group’s use of high-speed boats to bring drugs into southern Spain via the Andalusian coast and the Guadalquivir River, as well as links to trafficking operations in Galicia using fishing vessels. Following increased pressure on southern routes, the network attempted to shift operations northwards.
By late 2025, investigators had identified the tunnel as the group’s primary method for introducing drugs into Spain.
A coordinated operation involving more than 250 officers was launched across multiple locations, including Ceuta, Málaga, Huelva, Cádiz and Pontevedra. Officers carried out 29 searches, seizing an additional 228 kg of hashish and 88 kg of cocaine, along with €1.43 million in cash, 66 communication devices and 15 luxury vehicles.
In total, 27 people have been arrested and more than 17 tonnes of drugs confiscated. The investigation is being overseen by a Ceuta court and prosecutors.
Authorities said the operation has dismantled a major underground drug corridor serving international criminal organisations.
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La Policía Nacional encuentra un nuevo narcotúnel en Ceuta junto a la frontera con Marruecos. Por él entraban a España grandes toneladas de hachís.
— Telediarios de TVE (@telediario_tve) March 31, 2026
🎙️ @zhurnalist_
▶https://t.co/N1CqOU61k5 pic.twitter.com/EuVrBAgkAI
Localizado en #Ceuta un laberíntico #narcotunel que contaba con raíles, vagones y sistemas de poleas para trasladar la droga
— Policía Nacional (@policia) March 31, 2026
Disponía de tres níveles
🪜Pozo de descenso
📦Almacén
📤Línea hacia Marruecos
🔹27 detenidos
🔹17 tn de droga
🔹1.430.000 euroshttps://t.co/AfNv2AYUhg
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