Drug-smuggling tunnel with rail system and underground crane discovered

Spanish police have discovered a tunnel in ‌the North African exclave of Ceuta, to smuggle tons of hashish from Morocco into Spain.

Police said the structure, concealed beneath an ​industrial warehouse, extended over three levels, ‌including a descent shaft, an intermediate chamber for pallet storage, ​and the tunnel itself. Authorities seized 17 ‌metric tons of the drug, €1.4 million (£1.2m) in cash, and arrested 27 people ‌in connection with the operation.

The tunnel had a rail system and underground crane used to transport the hashish. Spain is a major entry point for hashish, which is derived from cannabis resin, into Europe.

Ceuta, along ​with the Spanish exclave ⁠of Melilla to the ⁠east, surrounded by Morocco, forms the European Union's only land border with Africa. Hashish is usually trafficked into Spain by ⁠sea using speedboats.

Read more from Sky News:Paintings 'worth millions' stolen from museum in ItalyIsrael passes controversial death penalty law In 2023, Spain ​accounted for 68% of all resin ​seizures in the EU, according to the ​latest data from the EU drugs ⁠agency. Smugglers have sometimes used unconventional methods to bring other drugs into Spain.

In the northwestern region of ⁠Galicia, submarines or semi-submersible vessels have been used to transport cocaine from South America, ​underscoring Spain's role as a transit hub..