Rabat – Morocco’s police in Agadir arrested Monday 12 individuals for their alleged involvement with a network active in international drug trafficking, the organization of irregular migration, and human trafficking.
Five suspects are facing charges of drug trafficking and the organization of irregular migration, while seven of them were candidates for undocumented migration, a statement from Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) reported today.
The statement added that two minors are among the suspects, aged 16 and 17. DGSN said the arrests came in collaboration with the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST).
DGSN reported that the investigation enabled police to seize a car, swimsuit, two life jackets, and 463 kilograms of cannabis.
Police put the suspects in custody, while the minors are under surveillance for preliminary investigation to determine the circumstances of the case.
The operation is part of Morocco’s approach to combat international trafficking of drugs and human trafficking, DGSN concluded.
Morocco’s government is determined to continue to shut down irregular migration attempts, which claim the lives of hundreds of would-be migrants annually.
One of the most recent operations took place August 26, when police arrested three suspects for organizing irregular migration in Mehdia, near Kenitra.
The defendants were allegedly coordinating with 25 sub-Saharan candidates for irregular migration.
The operation is among a score of arrests and missions by Moroccan security services to abort undocumented migration attempts.
The North African country foiled over 74,000 migration attempts last year.
The DGSN annual report on crimes in 2019 said that security services arrested 505 organizers of undocumented migration involved in 62 criminal human trafficking networks.
Police also arrested 27,317 would-be migrants, including 20,141 of foreign nationality. Moroccans represented 26% of those arrested trying to migrate without documents.
