European Union Pursues High-Profile Moroccan Fugitive Tied to Major Cannabis Trafficking
Spanish authorities are actively pursuing Abdellah El Haj Sadek El Menbri, a Moroccan national who has earned the nickname Messi marijuana for his alleged leadership in a sprawling drug operation. He currently sits on the European Union’s list of most wanted fugitives, underlining the gravity of charges and the high level of international attention surrounding his case.
El Menbri participates in the EU’s Most Wanted initiative, a continent-wide campaign coordinated by the European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams with support from Europol. The aim is to mobilize citizens in the arrest of more than fifty leaders of organized crime groups. Among these targets are three deemed dangerous, with five linked specifically to Spain. This effort reflects the EU’s commitment to cross-border cooperation in tackling organized crime and narcotics trafficking.
Investigators describe El Menbri as a 38-year-old Moroccan criminal figure whose alleged activities include leading an international organization involved in extensive drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses. Spanish authorities have labeled him the head of what they describe as the largest cannabis trafficking network operating in the Campo de Gibraltar region, an area known for its strategic maritime routes and busy illicit trade corridors.
According to law enforcement sources in Spain, El Menbri’s organization is said to specialize in introducing cannabis from northern Morocco into Spain, with the operations predominantly powered by fast, robust vessels capable of traversing the strait quickly and with minimized risk. The mobility and scale of these operations have raised alarms about the potential spillover effects into other European markets and the broader health and security implications for coastal communities.
Known locally as the “Messi with the Poppy,” El Menbri disappeared again in March 2019. He issued a letter claiming that growing police pressure in the Campo area of Gibraltar made continued presence unbearable. The wider Cádiz province became a focal point of concern for authorities trying to trace his movements and disrupt the financial networks that support his alleged criminal activities.
There has been a period during which El Menbri did not present himself in court for consecutive days, a deviation from legal obligations that prosecutors cite as part of the circumstantial evidence surrounding the case. The legal framework for his detention included conditions tied to a monetary deposit arranged during prior custody negotiations, with a sum reported around eighty thousand euros. He had, at one stage, been released on conditional terms after surrendering to Spanish authorities in late 2017, a decision that drew scrutiny amid ongoing investigations into the terms and effectiveness of such arrangements.
According to reports, the arrest and subsequent developments followed a sequence of evasion and strategic returns. After spending time in Morocco, El Menbri allegedly returned to Spain to surrender voluntarily, a move that sparked controversy given the ongoing judicial proceedings and public interest in the campaign to dismantle the networks he is accused of leading. The entire episode underscores the delicate balance between prosecution, international cooperation, and the rights of individuals facing serious charges while authorities seek to bring to justice those considered among the most dangerous players in the European narcotics landscape.