Morocco Seizes 18,243 Tons of Hashish South of Casablanca

The Moroccan police announced that they "seized 18,243 tons of hashish in its resin form, known in Morocco as 'shira', in the coastal area of Sidi Rahal, south of Casablanca, on Monday." They stated in a report that they "arrested five individuals caught in the act of transporting the banned substance on a truck and attempting to load it onto inflatable speedboats." They added that they "have begun investigating the detainees' connections with local and international drug trafficking networks." Morocco has intensified its campaigns against drug trafficking in recent months, leading to seizures including 10.7 tons of hashish in the city of Agadir on the Atlantic coast last March, and 19.5 tons of hashish resin hidden inside a truck loaded with octopus and headed for Spain last June. Morocco is a major producer of cannabis and has permitted its cultivation, export, and medical use since 2021, but recreational use is not allowed.