Speedboat drug smuggling operation broken up by Spanish police

Gang bought property to launder the profits of the operation taking cannabis from Morocco to Spain

Spain's Civil Guard searching houses in the Spanish region of Andalusia at the end of a year-long operation. EPA

A violent group of drug smugglers moving hashish from Morocco to Spain has been broken up with the arrest of 64 people, police said on Sunday.

The criminals transported the drugs from Morocco on six different speedboats to Europe’s southernmost tip in Spain.

The criminals owned a small pier, known as a narco jetty, where they unloaded the speedboats, said European police organisation Europol.

Police raided eight places in July and seized eight tonnes of cannabis, six boats, bank accounts and property worth more than €3 million.

The Spanish gang, known as the Clan de los Pinchos, smuggled up to six tonnes of cannabis a month and supplied other gangs.

They laundered the profits by investing in property through shell companies. The shell companies also bought equipment for the boats, said Europol.