They flew between Ceuta and Morocco, carrying hashish and prescription drugs.
The operation has been carried out with the mutual collaboration of the Civil Guard and the National Police, without counting on the air force. They have dismantled the organization that moved hashish and drugs. The flights lasted around 10-15 minutes and the drones were piloted from the ground. They used to leave Ceuta to land in Morocco, although the return flight was also used to transport substances.
The drones were high-end since they have been considered “semi-industrial”, which is logical given the weight they had to carry. This is the first operation in Spain against drug traffickers who use drones to transport merchandise. It is possible that other traffickers operate in a similar way on the border between Spain and Morocco and take advantage of new aerial technologies, which are becoming cheaper and more accessible. It really is a creative strategy that avoids contamination and, above all, the involvement of third parties who may be affected.
The organization also had other lower-capacity commercial drones and materials to repair them. In the operation, the police seized narcotic substances, computer equipment, two recreational weapons (one of them an HK assault rifle), shackles, a bulletproof vest and almost 2,000 benzodiazepine pills. Two of the detainees entered prison this week and two others were released on charges.
