Join on WhatsApp 
Join on Telegram Rabat – The Casablanca judiciary police have arrested five individuals from the same family, aged 20 to 60, for violation of the state of emergency, contempt towards police officers during their duty, failure to obey orders, and vandalism.
The arrests took place in the Sbata neighborhood, in southern Casablanca, on Sunday evening, April 19.
The operation started when police officers attempted to apprehend a suspect under a national arrest warrant for his alleged use of a vehicle without authorization and for violent assault on a minor.
The suspect’s family members violently resisted his arrest by throwing stones, resulting in damage to police patrol cars, said a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).
Police officers had to wait for reinforcements before they restored order, arresting five suspects, the document added.
Four suspects are in custody, while the fifth remains at the disposal of the investigation to determine the circumstances of the case. A search is also underway to apprehend the rest of the alleged accomplices of the criminal acts, the statement concluded.
On April 15, the DGSN revealed that the nationwide lockdown to curb the COVID-19 spread has resulted in a remarkable decline in crimes.
The general crime rate in Morocco fell by 20% between March 2019 and the same period in 2020, which translates to approximately 10,867 fewer criminal cases in the country.
Theft under the threat of a weapon decreased by 52%, reported sexual assault and rape cases decreased by 41%, premeditated homicide fell by 67%, and economic and financial crimes went down 23%.
Assault and battery resulting in death and homicide attempts also demonstrated an unprecedented decline thanks to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Despite the decline in crime rates, the crime of violating lockdown is on the rise, with thousands of citizens leaving their homes without authorization and not respecting the state of emergency.
As of April 19, Moroccan police arrested a total of 47,143 suspects across the country for violating the lockdown, including 25,480 who went to court.
