RABAT, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- A total of 15 people have been arrested for suspected links to the seizure of a record 2.59 tons of cocaine in Morocco, local media reported on Thursday.

The Moroccan police announced that they had seized the record amount of cocaine after raids in the coastal cities of Skhirat and Bouznika, dozens of kilometers away from Rabat, and the northeastern city of Nador.

The police also seized rifles, 105 kg of cannabis, six vehicles and 480,000 U.S. dollars in cash.

The suspects were Moroccan Dutch and Moroccan Spanish, Abdelhak El Khiam, director of Morocco's Central Bureau for Judicial Investigation, was quoted as saying by daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia.

The suspected masterminds of the network are two Dutch citizens of Moroccan origin who are currently serving sentences over accusation of drug trafficking operations, the same source added.

El Khiam said the dismantlement of the drug trafficking network involved more than four years of surveillance and investigations.

He underlined that investigators believed the drugs were shipped from Venezuela for distribution in Morocco as well as in Europe or the United Arab Emirates.

"The drug networks of South America are currently trying to make use of the African route, via the countries in South Sahara where there is little control," he pointed out. Enditem

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