Customs officials have seized 415 kilos of hashish from 15 industrial gas cylinders in Port of Ceuta. The empty oxygen bottles were awaiting shipment to the Port of Algeciras when the Spanish Customs and the Guardia Civil Border service inspectors found indication of possible manipulation on the cylinders. Officers cut open one of the gas bottles and found 27 kilos of hashish hidden inside. This led to the destructive opening of other suspected gas cylinders, and a total 415 kilos of hashish was seized from 15 oxygen cylinders. Police have said that no arrest has been made yet, but they are working to locate and arrest perpetrators of the crime.
Hashish is a common illegal drug found on routes from North Africa to Europe. In the past, smugglers from Morocco have used Ceuta to smuggle drugs to Europe. Located on a peninsula opposite Gibraltar, Ceuta, a Spanish exclave on the coast of Morocco, has a freight ferry service connecting North Africa to Europe. Tarajal is the only border crossing between Morocco and Ceuta and has been used in the past by smugglers to smuggle drugs and illegal migrants to Europe. The border crossing at Tarajal was closed during the pandemic but now with the lockdown removed, smugglers have regained access to Ceuta’s freight ferry services.
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