Rabat – Officers from the National Judicial Police Brigade (BNPJ) of Oujda, in northeastern Morocco, have seized 20 kilograms of gold and €2,489,870 ($2.93 million) in cash. Authorities suspect the confiscated valuables to be a result of criminal activities.
The security operation took place on Friday evening, August 7, in coordination with the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), said a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).
During the operation, police arrested four suspects for their alleged participation in criminal acts. Morocco’s security services also seized five cars, 12 gold ingots weighing 20 kilograms in total, and MAD 110,000 ($11,885), in addition to the sum in euros. The confiscated gold has an estimated value of $1.3 million.
Security services launched an investigation to determine the sum of money’s origin and any criminal activities that may be linked to it.
Search operations following the initial arrests led to the arrest of a fifth suspect in the region of Bni Drar, approximately 25 kilometers north of Oujda.
During the arrest operation, a police officer fired two warning bullets after a group of individuals threw stones at security services. The “fierce resistance” injured one police officer, DGSN said.
All five suspects are currently in custody, pending investigations under the supervision of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Search operations are ongoing to arrest the remaining accomplices who refused to comply and opted for violence against police officers, DGSN concluded.
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