THIS is the underground tunnel between Morocco and Spain that was used by drug traffickers to smuggle large quantities of hashish.
Images shared by the Guardia Civil (pictured below) show how the entry hole was built into the floor of a warehouse in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa that borders Morocco.
The entrance hole was hidden by a metal manhole covering that opened up to reveal a series of ladders.
The Guardia Civil said in a statement: “A cavity of approximately 12 metres in depth was found, which led to an underground gallery that runs towards the border with the Kingdom of Morocco.
“It is a narrow construction, propped up with wood, which would have been used to transport drugs across the border between Morocco and Spain.”
It added: “This is the third phase of the so-called ‘HADES’ operation, in which 14 arrests have been made in the last three weeks, two of them Guardia Civil officers.
“These arrests are related to the seizure of three trucks that were hiding more than six tonnes of hashish in hidden compartments.”
The underground network ran from a warehouse in the Tarajal industrial estate to Morocco, and was allegedly used to introduce ‘large amounts of hashish’ into Spain.
According to local Spanish newspaper El Faro, the authorities had long been searching for the entry route, which has been operating for years without anyone noticing.
The building of the tunnel took place behind the closed doors of a warehouse.
This shielded the entry hole from prying eyes, while the loud noises did not arouse suspicion given that it was taking place on an industrial estate.
Once constructed, the tunnel would be used to receive huge bales of hashish from Morocco. They would then be loaded onto trucks that evaded the Guardia Civil checkpoint and headed to mainland Spain.
The discovery was part of a long investigation into drug trafficking and police corruption, reports El Faro.
The probe, being run by Internal Affairs, has already resulted in several arrests, with multiple suspects jailed, including Guardia Civil officers.
No names or information of the accused have been released, as the investigation is ongoing.
Since at least 2023, Spanish authorities have been seeking the source of huge quantities of hashish arriving from Ceuta to mainlaind Spain on trucks.
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