Moroccan police seize record cannabis haul

Moroccan police on Wednesday said they had seized a record haul of cannabis and arrested a man in connection with an international drug trafficking network.

Officers captured what it called a record 31.197 tonnes (68,777 pounds) of cannabis resin at a warehouse near the northern port of Tangier, the largest haul this year, police said in a statement.

The cannabis was stuffed in fruit and vegetable figurines in an attempt to disguise them as agricultural products for export, they added.

A large refrigerated lorry containing bags of hashish was also seized at the warehouse.

A 61-year-old man with a criminal record was arrested and placed in custody on suspicion of links with a criminal network engaged in international drug trafficking.

Moroccan authorities seized more than 191 tonnes of cannabis resin in 2021.

The North African kingdom is one of the world's major hashish producers, and in a major reform last year approved a law authorising cannabis for therapeutic use.