Spanish police have uncovered a sophisticated underground tunnel used to smuggle large quantities of hashish from Morocco into Europe via the North African Spanish exclave of Ceuta.
The tunnel, found beneath an industrial warehouse, had been carefully concealed and equipped with pumping and soundproofing systems to avoid detection, police said.
Authorities described the three-level structure as “maze-like” and highly advanced. The lowest level, which led directly towards Morocco, resembled “a mine-style maze” and was fitted with rail tracks and trolleys designed to move heavy loads.
Above it, a middle level was used to prepare and store bales of hashish, which were then lifted using cranes and pulley systems.
The tunnel reached a depth of 19 metres and measured around 1.2 metres in height and 80 centimetres in width, making it accessible but tightly confined. Investigators have been unable to determine its full length because parts of the structure are flooded, police official Antonio Martinez said.
Authorities believe the tunnel was built by a powerful criminal organisation with significant technical expertise, working with other networks to move the drugs onwards by speedboat and fishing vessel.
The investigation, launched in February 2025, has led to the seizure of more than 17 tonnes of hashish and €1.4 million in cash in operations across Ceuta and mainland Spain. Police have arrested 27 people, including two suspected leaders of the network.
One of the suspects, based in Morocco and detained on March 26, is also believed to be linked to a similar tunnel dismantled in Ceuta last year.
