Fez – Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) and General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) on the early morning of December 20 disrupted an international drug trafficking attempt of three tonnes of cannabis resin in Agadir.
A statement from DGSN indicated that the judicial police launched the arrest operation on the basis of information provided by the DGST. DGSN indicated that the searches and investigations led to the seizure of a commercial vehicle in the area of Oulad Berhil, near Taroudant, southeastern Morocco.
Police apprehended the driver, a 37-year-old man with a criminal record who is wanted nationally for his alleged involvement in operations related to international drug trafficking.
Police found 90 packages of cannabis onboard the vehicle, with a total weight of three tons. The searches also led to the seizure of an inflatable boat equipped with two engines.
The suspect was placed under custody while an investigation is carried out under the supervision of the prosecutor to see whether there are any further collaborators.
In recent weeks and months, DGSN services have dramatically boosted their efforts in Morocco to combat drug and people trafficking.
In 2020, Moroccan police recovered 217 tonnes and 323 kilograms of cannabis, up 37 tons from the previous year. In addition, authorities apprehended 97, 564 people for their roles in drug trafficking charges in 2020.
Cannabis is one of Morocco’s most popular narcotics. According to a study from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Moroccan security forces captured over 300 tonnes of cannabis plants in 2019.
Morocco is ranked sixth in the world in terms of the number of psychoactive chemicals collected each year.
