Laayoune: Police services foiled early Tuesday an attempt to traffic 8.6 tonnes of cannabis resin, arresting three individuals suspected of links to an international drug trafficking network. The suspects, aged between 18 and 37, were arrested in a rural area near Boujdour while attempting to smuggle drugs by sea.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the suspects were using a passenger vehicle and a truck loaded with 217 packages of cannabis resin, along with two marine engines and two inflatable boats. The individuals were placed in police custody for the purposes of the judicial investigation under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor, with a view to determining the potential ramifications of this criminal activity and apprehending other accomplices.

The operation, carried out in coordination with the Royal Gendarmerie, is part of ongoing efforts to combat international trafficking in narcotics and psychotropic substances, the same source added.