Abdennour El Hichou, the last of the detained Moroccans linked to the killing of two Spanish civil guards who were run over by smugglers in a fast inflatable boat in Barbate, has confessed to his involvement in the incident. He admitted, «That was the first time I boarded a fast boat used for drug smuggling». During his interrogation, El Hichou—who had been hiding in Morocco for over a year—confirmed that he was on the boat with three other accused individuals. He explained that they slept only two or three hours a day and remained on the boat for nearly twenty days prior to the incident, which occurred on February 9, 2024. He added, «Karim was the one steering the boat because a Spanish person was with us at first». El Hichou said he was suffering from extreme fatigue and dehydration, noting, «I was not allowed to return to land». Regarding their actions on the day of the incident, he stated, «We only made one trip, and when we saw the other boats leaving, we left too». He also revealed that after the incident, he went to the city of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where he stayed for two days before learning about the deaths of the two civil guards through television news three days later. As for why he turned himself in to the Spanish authorities, he cited the death of his father and a desire to cooperate with justice. He added, «I work as a waiter in bars in Morocco», clarifying that his presence on the boat was for cigarette smuggling only, not drugs.
