Police Arrest 5 Individuals for Drug Trafficking, Falsifying COVID-19 Vaccine Data

Rabat – Morocco’s National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) arrested five individuals for their alleged involvement in a case of drug trafficking, violation of data systems, and falsification of COVID-19 vaccine passes.

Between January 3 and 5, judicial police arrested one person with a criminal record, two nurses, and two members of the police, according to the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST).

In a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), the joint security operation led to the arrest of a police officer working in the security district of Mehdia, Kenitra, as well as a nurse in flagrante delicto transporting 338 kilograms of Chira drug on board a light vehicle in Timahdite, a town near Ifrane.

Investigations also led to the arrest of the vehicle’s owner and a police officer from the Karia Ba Mohamed police station in northern Morocco, in addition to a head nurse working near Taounate, in the Rif Mountains region of Northern Morocco.

Preliminary investigation revealed that among the arrested individuals, some are involved in issuing vaccine passes and falsifying COVID-19 vaccine data by registering unvaccinated people who have refused to take their doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The suspects were taken into custody, while three of them were brought to justice at the end of the custody period.

DGSN noted that further investigation is carried out with the rest of the suspects to identify other people involved in the criminal acts.

Cases of fake vaccination certificates and falsified vaccine passes have been commonplace in many Moroccan cities in recent months.

In December 2021, police in the northern Moroccan city of Oujda arrested on Tuesday a nurse for her alleged involvement in a case of falsification of COVID-19 vaccine data. In November, police in Marrakech arrested a nurse for falsifying official documents and manipulating vaccine data to register unvaccinated people.