Massive Cannabis Seizure in Morocco Highlights Ongoing Drug Crackdown

Moroccan police seized 18.243 tonnes of cannabis resin in Sidi Rehal, arresting five individuals unloading the substance from a truck to boats. The arrests are under investigation for links to drug trafficking networks. Morocco, a major cannabis producer, has intensified its efforts to combat illegal drug activities.

Morocco's police said they seized 18.243 tonnes of cannabis resin in the coastal town of Sidi Rehal south of Casablanca on Monday. Five people were arrested in the operation as they unloaded the banned substance from a truck into rapid inflatable boats, the police said in a statement.

They have begun investigating the arrested individuals' connections with local and international drug trafficking networks, they said. In recent months, Morocco has stepped up its crackdown on drug trafficking, including seizing 10.7 tonnes of cannabis in March in the Atlantic coast city of Agadir. Last June, it seized 19.5 tonnes of cannabis resin stashed in a truck loaded with octopus bound for Spain.

Morocco is a major cannabis producer and has allowed the cultivation, export and use of the drug for medicine or in industry since 2021, but it does not allow it to be used for recreational purposes.