The suspects forged documents to facilitate irregular migration.
Rabat – Moroccan police have arrested five suspects involved in forgery and organization of irregular migration in Oujda, eastern Morocco.
A statement from the General Directorate of National Security said on Sunday, January 26, that two suspects were involved in falsifying personal and administrative documents required for EU visas.
Police believe two other suspects mediated between the suspects falsifying documents and clients wishing to obtain illegally made documents.
Police arrested the fifth suspect who intended to make a visa application using forged documents, the DGSN said.
During a search operation, police seized a large number of falsified documents at the suspects’ homes, as well as a vehicle.
Police put all the suspects in custody for further investigation to arrest all possible accomplices.
Morocco has been increasing its efforts to combat criminal networks, including those involved in irregular migration and forgery.
According to a DGSN annual report, police arrested 505 organizers of undocumented migration involved in 62 people networks in 2019.
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Operations against irregular migration resulted in the arrest of 27,317 would-be migrants, including 20,141 of foreign nationality. Moroccans represented 26% of those arrested trying to migrate without documents.
The DGSN also seized 3,021 false travel and ID documents.