Moroccan police seize record 31 tonnes of cannabis

Officers captured cannabis resin haul at a warehouse near Tangier

Cannabis seized by Moroccan police in 2007. The country is one of the world's biggest hashish producers. AFP

Moroccan police have seized a record haul of cannabis and arrested a man in connection with an international drug trafficking network.

Officers captured what it called a record 31.197 tonnes of cannabis resin at a warehouse near the northern port of Tangier, the largest haul in Morocco this year, AFP reported.

The cannabis was stuffed in fruit and vegetable figurines in an attempt to disguise them as agricultural products for export, police said.

A large refrigerated lorry containing bags of hashish was also seized at the warehouse.

A 61-year-old man with a criminal record was arrested and placed in custody on suspicion of links with a criminal network engaged in international drug trafficking.

Moroccan authorities seized more than 191 tonnes of cannabis resin in 2021.

The North African kingdom is one of the world's major hashish producers, and in a major reform last year approved a law authorising cannabis for therapeutic use.