Drug kingpin held in Tangier after huge hashish bust

A suspected hashish kingpin known as El Moreno has been arrested in Tangier after fleeing Spain earlier this year, as police said a wider operation led to 86 arrests and the seizure of almost 11 tonnes of cannabis resin.

The National Police said the man, described as one of the country’s most prolific hashish traffickers, was detained in Morocco and is being held pending extradition to Spain.

Officers said the operation has been running since 2025 and remains open, with investigators not ruling out further arrests or seizures.

Police say network moved drugs from Morocco into Spain

According to police, the gang brought large quantities of hashish from Morocco into Spain before distributing it across the country and elsewhere in Europe. Investigators said the organisation worked in a highly structured way, using houses and storage sites to keep the drugs hidden before they were broken down for onward transport.

Police said the arrests took place in seven provinces, with most in Madrid and others in Guadalajara, Valencia, Malaga, Burgos, Almeria and Girona.

Eighteen of those detained have been remanded in custody.

The force said the network was capable of moving several tonnes of hashish each month and that its profits were laundered through companies used to disguise the proceeds of crime.

Suspect lived in luxury before going on the run

Investigators said El Moreno had been living in an upmarket area of Madrid before disappearing in March. They said he had a long record for drug trafficking and had previously survived a kidnapping attempt and an attempt on his life.

A senior officer involved in the inquiry said the suspect operated like a businessman rather than a street-level trafficker, with control over drivers, storage houses and the movement of drugs through the network.

Police also said the group used residential properties in Madrid to conceal large quantities of hashish in plain sight, moving the drugs through garages and other hidden storage areas.

The arrest is the latest phase of a major investigation that authorities say has struck one of Spain’s biggest cannabis trafficking organisations. Police said the case is still active.

No injuries were reported in the operation.