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Rabat – Moroccan police in Tangier have arrested an Indian national suspected of mediating irregular migration and human trafficking operations in Morocco.
The suspect, who was arrested on Saturday, has been residing in Morocco illegally, according to a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) released yesterday, June 10.
The statement added that the police arrested the suspect in a flat which he rented and used to house 10 irregular migrants from Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan.
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Preliminary investigations show that the suspect has received a cash amounts ranging from $1,000 and $7,000 dollars from the migrants in exchange for help reaching Europe.
Police placed the suspect in custody for further investigation into links to a criminal network.
The arrest is in line with Morocco’s strategy to crackdown on irregular migration attempts.
Moroccan law enforcement has carried out several similar operations throughout the year. One of the latest operations was conducted in May, when police in Rabat arrested a sub-Saharan woman for her alleged links with an irregular migration network.
Police in Asilah, northern Morocco also arrested a Malian national suspected of facilitating irregular migration and human trafficking operations in May.
According to the Moroccan government, security services have thwarted more than 30,000 irregular migration attempts in 2019, compared to 88,761 of foiled attempts in 2018.
The European Union have granted Morocco €140 million to support the country’s efforts in reducing undocumented migration into Europe.
