Rif Connection

The Rif Mountains in northern Morocco have been the world's primary source of hashish for decades, producing an estimated 700+ tonnes annually. Despite government eradication campaigns and the 2021 legalization of cannabis for medical and industrial use, illicit production continues at massive scale. The hashish is smuggled across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain using speedboats, fishing vessels, and increasingly drones and submarines. From Spain, it flows north through France to the Netherlands and Belgium. The trade generates an estimated EUR 10 billion annually and involves complex networks spanning Morocco, Spain, France, and the Benelux countries.