In Spain, a Record Amount of Hashish Seized

Spanish customs authorities, while patrolling the Balearic Islands, discovered and confiscated a record quantity of hashish weighing over 8 tons.

This was reported by the state tax service, which also oversees customs procedures.

Customs officers in Spain came across three vans on the popular tourist island of Ibiza, driving with their headlights off along the road that connects the village of San Juan de Labritja in the north of the island to the beach.

"The drivers of the three minibuses, upon spotting the customs vehicle, abruptly braked, causing a collision among themselves, and then fled with their passengers into the woods," the customs statement reads. It also specifies that none of the individuals in the vehicles were apprehended.

Inside the vans, customs officers found 216 bags containing 8.3 tons of hashish, which, according to customs officials, constitutes "the largest hashish seizure ever made in the Balearic Islands."

The Balearic Islands, an archipelago off the eastern coast of Spain, are one of the most popular vacation destinations for tourists.

At the same time, Spanish authorities suspect that drug traffickers use the islands, particularly Ibiza, as a "transshipment point" for hashish, which is then distributed across Europe.

Law enforcement agencies in Spain have noted a significant increase in hashish consumption in the Mediterranean region, especially in the Balearic Islands, according to a statement. Typically, drugs are transported to the archipelago aboard "high-speed inflatable boats."

Spain's proximity to North Africa – the main source of hashish – and its close ties with former colonies in Latin America – the world's primary producer of cocaine – have made the country one of the leading drug trafficking hubs into Europe.

As reported by The Gaze, Polish law enforcement officers discovered 120 kg of cannabis hidden in buckets of tomato paste.

The drugs were concealed in the semi-trailer of a freight truck transporting food products from Spain. During the inspection, officers from the Main Investigation Bureau in Poznan confiscated 120 kg of marijuana, packed in vacuum-sealed polyethylene bags.

Additionally, it was reported that representatives of Europol, together with law enforcement agencies from Croatia, Italy, Spain, and Serbia, seized 700 kilograms of cocaine and arrested several individuals suspected of involvement with the so-called Balkan Cartel.