ONE of Spain’s most wanted alleged drug lords, nicknamed ‘the tiger of hashish’, has been arrested in Morocco, seven months after going on the run.
The Spaniard, known as ‘El Moreno’, is accused of leading one of the biggest hashish trafficking networks in the country. He was arrested in Tangier, where he is being held in prison pending extradition to Spain.
The National Police operation has also led to 86 arrests in Spain, roughly half of them Spanish and half Moroccan, and the seizure of almost 11 tonnes of hashish.
? Localizado en #Tánger el líder de una de las mayores organizaciones dedicadas al tráfico de hachís, fugado desde marzo ? Última fase del macrooperativo: ? 86 detenidos ? 10,8 toneladas de hachís intervenidas ? 7 puntos de almacenamiento desmantelados ? Clave la cooperación policial internacional #PolicíaNacional
— Policía Nacional (@policia) October 27, 2026
The arrests took place in seven provinces, the vast majority in Madrid, followed by Guadalajara, Valencia, Malaga, and Burgos, Almeria and Girona.
Eighteen of those arrested have been remanded in custody.
Police say the network smuggled thousands of kilos of hashish a month from Morocco for distribution in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.
The arrests mark the latest phase of an investigation that began in 2025. Police say it remains open, and they have not ruled out further arrests and seizures.
Before fleeing to Morocco in March, El Moreno lived a life of luxury in Soto de La Moraleja, one of Madrid’s most exclusive neighbourhoods.
“You could call him the tiger of hashish. He has been known for many years. He’s someone who has survived a kidnapping attempt and an attempt on his life,” said Javier Ramos, head of the central brigade of the National Police’s drugs and organised crime unit (UDYCO).
He said El Moreno had a “very powerful” network of suppliers and distributors and lived “a very high standard of living, completely camouflaged, with his children at very good schools and good contacts”.
“This operation is a big step forward in the fight against organised crime,” Ramos added.
According to chief inspector Jose Manuel Orge, El Moreno grew up in the working-class Manoteras area of Madrid’s Hortaleza district.
He already had a record for drug trafficking and was arrested over similar offences in 2009.
The organisation used a network of companies to launder its profits, Orge said, and El Moreno oversaw every level, from drivers to finding houses to hide the drugs.
“The organisation worked like a company. The only difference was that its income came from drugs. El Moreno acted like a businessman,” he said.
In Madrid, the gang hid large quantities of hashish in houses on residential estates, surrounded by unsuspecting neighbours, and brought the drugs in through their garages.
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