Rabat – Police in Dakhla, southern Morocco, thwarted an irregular migration operation on November 28, arresting one suspect for his alleged involvement in human trafficking.
Police arrested the 25-year-old suspect in the coastal fishing zone of Lassarga, south of the city of Dakhla.
Security services arrested the suspect red-handed with 38 candidates for irregular migration, including one woman and three minors, a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) reported.
The suspect had a contract with the would-be migrants to take them to the Spanish coast in return for MAD 20,000 ($2,211) per migrant.
Search operations enabled police to seize logistics equipment suspected of being used to facilitate the commission of the criminal acts, including two homemade boats equipped with engines, barrels containing 560 liters of gasoline, compasses, and all-terrain vehicles.
Police put the main suspect in custody. The migrants were subject to judicial inquiries to determine the possible links and international ramifications of the criminal network.
Morocco is a transit point and for irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe for better opportunities. It is also a destination country for many migrants, who either travel to Morocco specifically or end up staying on their way to Europe.
This year, Morocco’s security services aborted a score of irregular migration attempts.
In 2019, Morocco aborted 74,000 irregular migration operations.
At the G20 Summit, Spain recently voiced concerns regarding the irregular migration issue, saying Morocco continues to face pressure due to undocumented migration.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Morocco and other transit countries are under migratory pressure from sub-Saharan Africa.
