A FUGITIVE drug kingpin known as the ‘Messi of hashish’ has been identified by Spanish investigators as the alleged mastermind behind a network of tunnels used to smuggle drugs from Morocco into Spain.
Spanish police believe Abdellah El Haj Sadek, one of the most notorious traffickers ever to operate in the Strait of Gibraltar, played a central role in the criminal organisation behind a series of underground passages discovered beneath the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
The Moroccan national, nicknamed the ‘Messi of hashish’ because of his dominance within the trade, disappeared from public view around seven years ago.
He is believed to have remained hidden in Morocco while continuing to exert influence over trafficking operations on both sides of the Strait.
Spanish investigators have reportedly linked El Haj to the network through intelligence gathered during a long-running investigation overseen by Spain’s National Court, with his name repeatedly surfacing amid inquiries into the organisation.
The tunnels were uncovered during a major crackdown on drug trafficking routes between Morocco and Europe.
Police described the infrastructure as highly sophisticated, featuring rail systems, storage chambers, pulleys and mechanical equipment capable of moving large quantities of hashish beneath the heavily monitored frontier.
Authorities believe the passages were capable of transporting up to two tonnes of hashish a week into Ceuta before the drugs were moved onwards through Spain and into other European countries.
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