‘Messi of hashish’ arrested in Spain

THE LEADER of one of the largest drug trafficking gangs in Spain has been arrested in a joint operation by Spain’s National Police and Guardia Civil.

Abdellah El Haj, known as the Messi of hashish, had escaped to Morocco in May after 19 of his gang were arrested. 

The Moroccan heads one of the largest marijuana trafficking operations in Spain that operates through the Strait of Gibraltar. 

He has now been detained in Campo de Gibraltar by Guardia Civil officers from Algeciras.

Last May, the National Police and the Civil Guard detained 19 people, all of them now in prison, 13 tonnes of hashish. Four firearms were also recovered. El Haj, however, had a getaway parked nearby and managed to escape to Morocco. 

The drug trafficker is known by police as the ‘Messi of hashish’ for his frequent social media posts in which he wears the shirt of the Argentine football player.