Spain arrests cocaine smugglers off Morocco
Morocco, Local, 11/14/1997

Security sources in Rabat said that the Spanish authorities arrested 4 Colombians who are believed to be members of an international net in the drug smuggling trade and who were involved in the biggest attempt to smuggle 6 tons of cocaine which were found on board a ship near the Moroccan coast during the summer of the current year.

Sources added that one of the Spanish judges visited Morocco for investigations in this case. The ship that was carrying the drugs broke down and had to discharge its cargo on the Atlantic Coast. The Spanish judge interrogated a German who came to Morocco to pay the fees for fixing the ship.

Sources in the Moroccan Ministry of Interior stated that a Spanish citizen called Manuel Charlain was arrested in on of the taverns south of Spain and is believed to be the mastermind of the net. This arrest led to the capture of the four Colombians. The sources added that the investigations are carried out by specialized experts from France, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, and the USA.

The Moroccan interior Minister Idris Al Basry made a phone call to his Spanish counterpart Mario Ortega in which the two officials exchanged information about the case and the two countries' efforts to combat the drug smuggling trade. The Interpol expected that other members of the net will be arrested with the continuation of the investigation.

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