The Spanish National Police have seized more than 15 tons of hashish hidden in a truck carrying watermelons from Morocco. The bust followed close coordination between Morocco's General Directorate of National Security and France's National Directorate of Judicial Police. The truck was tracked from the port of Almeria, where officers discovered the drugs cleverly concealed among watermelon crates and inside bags disguised to look like they contained sweet potatoes. The operation, carried out on June 19 in Huercal de Almeria, led to the arrest of five people, including the truck driver, who were remanded in custody by court order. Three more individuals were arrested days later in Torremolinos (Malaga) by the Udyco Costa del Sol anti-drug squad. Authorities confirmed they were directly linked to the seized shipment. The investigation began in early June, after French drug enforcement authorities tipped off police about a Spanish-Moroccan network smuggling large quantities of hashish into Europe. Coordination with Moroccan security forces enabled the tracking of the shipment and the dismantling of a significant part of the network. At a press conference, a police official said the operation, dubbed «San Pedro», crippled the network's logistics and prevented the distribution of the drugs, which were set to be moved via smaller trucks, mostly destined for the French market. On June 21, a judge ordered the pre-trial detention of the five initial suspects. Authorities are expected to do the same for the three arrested later in Malaga.
