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Rabat – Police in Fez seized on Tuesday 74,505 bottles of alcohol that do not comply with tax and customs provisions.
The bottles bear foreign trademarks, a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) reported.
Police seized the alcohol in a warehouse located in the industrial zone Ain Chkef in Fez.
During the operation, Fez police arrested the owners of the warehouse.
Preliminary investigations unveiled “several infringements,” the DGSN said. The infractions included “false declarations” relating to the number of bottles stored at the warehouse and the alcohol content in the individual beverages.
The violations also included “the declaration of non-alcoholic beverages to avoid the tax duties imposed on the drinks, depending on their volume and brand,” the DGSN added.
Police submitted the seized bottles to the customs and indirect taxes administration of Fez for the necessary expertise and to determine the offenses committed.
Morocco’s National Food and Safety Office (ONSSA) is also set to conduct an investigation to determine if the drinks comply with the required health standards, the DGSN said.
Police put the warehouse owners in custody for further investigation.
The operation follows the recent security operations of the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ) which took place on September 5.
During the operation, Moroccan police seized one million bottles of smuggled or expired alcoholic drinks across the country.
Last week, Moroccan police also identified a series of violations at a hotel in Casablanca and arrested several suspects.
The hotel made its restaurant a nightclub and sold alcoholic beverages to visitors without authorization.
Police seized 11 sealed bottles of smuggled alcoholic drinks during the operation.
