Moroccan police seized six tons of cannabis resin and detained 14 people in Western Sahara (south), the Directorate General for National Security (DGSN) announced on Sunday.

« The investigations and inquiries carried out in a Saharan zone about 30 km from El Aaiún (main city of Western Sahara) » allowed « the seizure of more than 216 drug tablets with a total weight of 5.8 tons, » said the statement from the DGSN.

The operation allowed the arrest of « fourteen individuals, including a Mauritanian and a Senegalese, suspected of having ties to a criminal network active in international drug and psychoactive trafficking, » the statement said.

Moroccan police regularly announce the capture of tons of cannabis destined for Europe.

Morocco is one of the world’s leading producers of cannabis, which is grown mainly in the mountainous Rif region (north).

In 2019, authorities seized 179 tons of cannabis, according to the official balance.

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