Catalonia, one of the main entry points for the trafficking of hash into Europe

Catalan police have detected an increase in the trafficking of hashish in recent years, to the point that it has become the most-exported drug in the European market.

Since 2018, the Mossos d'Esquadra have confiscated 40 tons of hash entering Catalonia via the coast or by road on the AP-7 highway. 

Last year, 10 criminal networks were dismantled, and more than 900 people have been arrested so far in 2023 related to drug trafficking. 

"Judicial and police pressure in the south of Spain has made criminal organizations opt for Catalonia when it comes to bringing hashish into the country from Morocco," inspector Antoni Salleras, head of the Central Organized Crime Area of the Catalan police, explains.

Unlike with marijuana, which is produced in large amounts across Catalonia, the criminal organizations trafficking in hashish use the Catalan territory as a logistical base and passageway to the rest of Europe.

The Mossos d'Esquadra have detected an improvement in preparedness among the criminal networks trafficking in the drug.

"Organizations are starting to set up workshops for the construction and repair of narco-boats, and even put a name and logo on the bundles of hashish to create their own brand due to the high competition in the market," says Josep Antoni Lopez Garzón, head of the Criminal Investigation Division of the North Metropolitan Region.

Police say that most of the time, traffickers "don't operate alone." There are local groups that provide services to the networks, occasionally offering them logistical services under the guise of legality. 

The Mossos have also noticed an increase in violence over the past year. Despite everything, "the violence that can be unleashed in relation to the phenomenon of hashish is not comparable to that linked to the field of marijuana," Salleras explains. 

He adds that "the use of violence in the context of hashish is limited to criminal environments, without so far having had a direct impact on the public."

Police operations related to hashish have increased significantly this year, and it is now "one of the main priorities of the Mossos d'Esquadra." For this reason, they are working to "dismantle" the organizations, intercept boats transporting drugs from Morocco, and start investigations into cases of money laundering.

The recent 'Peking case' in September was one of the largest such operations in Catalonia. The investigation led to the dismantling of a significant criminal organization that imported hash through the port of Mataró from Morocco. 

Some 26 people were arrested, and 154 bundles weighing a total of 5,500 kg of hashish were seized.

In order to catch traffickers moving by land, the Mossos have implemented a new measure using scanners in traffic controls to detect drugs in the loads of trucks. 

To avoid police checks, trucks carrying hashish are usually preceded by a car meant to watch out for police cards and give a warning to the loaded vehicle.