"First findings of the investigation showed the network had important financial, logistics and human resources to acquire, process and ship the drug," it said in a statement.

Morocco is the biggest grower after Afghanistan of cannabis, the most widely used illicit drug, and the main source of hashish smuggled into Europe, mainly via Spain, UN figures show.

Morocco's hashish trade is estimated to net $12bn a year for dealers and drug barons who benefit from the complicity of local government officials.

Less than 20% of that money filters back into the Moroccan economy.

The dismantled ring used high-speed boats to smuggle "several dozen tons of hashish" into Spain from at least five Mediterranean coastal villages in the north Nador region, the ministry said.

"Several members" of the security forces and the navy were detained on suspicion of links to the smugglers, it added. It did not say how many suspected smugglers had been arrested and gave no further details and.

Security officials declined to comment, saying the investigation was still under way.

- Reuters