Spanish police have dismantled a sophisticated criminal network that used homemade drones with extraordinary range to transport hashish from Morocco.
Authorities said nine people were arrested in coordinated raids on Monday, targeting workshops and storage sites in southern Spain’s Cádiz province.
The drones, built in a workshop in Alcalá de los Gazules using components imported from Asia, could fly more than 200 kilometres and carry heavy loads.
Police described the devices as “exceptional in range, accuracy, and capacity,” surpassing any commercial models currently available.
The network operated almost nightly, dispatching up to ten drones at once to move around 200 kilograms of hashish under the cover of darkness.
Each drone would cross the Strait of Gibraltar, collect the drugs in Morocco, and release marked packages over Vejer de la Frontera and Tarifa for recovery.
Packages were fitted with fluorescent markers and geolocation devices to ensure swift retrieval after drop-offs, officials said.
The joint operation, named Ruche—French for “beehive”—was conducted with the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie after authorities detected multiple unidentified drone flights.
Police seized eight operational drones, ten under construction, 150 kilograms of hashish, and €320,000 in cash during five raids.
Spain remains a major entry point for hashish into Europe, given its proximity to northern Morocco, a global hub for cannabis production.
Last year, police intercepted another drone-based smuggling ring using Ukrainian-made devices capable of carrying just 10 kilograms per flight.
By contrast, the drones in this latest case demonstrate the rapid evolution of criminal ingenuity—melding technology, geography, and illicit trade into a high-flying enterprise.
Authorities say investigations continue to identify other members and potential suppliers involved in the cross-border trafficking network.
