Spanish police arrest 12 from alleged hash smuggling ring

MADRID – Spanish authorities say they have broken up an alleged drug ring that smuggled hashish from Morocco to Europe.

Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said Sunday that Spanish police 12 alleged smugglers and confiscated nearly 190,000 euros ($224,000.)

Zoido said in a Twitter post: "We have declared war on those who deal drugs."

The arrests mark the second major bust of alleged drug smugglers in the province of Cadiz in southern Spain this month. Two weeks ago, police arrested 14 suspected smugglers and confiscated drugs and boats allegedly used to run stashes across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Spain's Interior Ministry says Cadiz province, which is located 14 kilometers (8.6 miles) from the coast of North Africa, is the entry point for 40 percent of the drugs smuggled into Spain.