Moroccan Police Dismantle Human Trafficking Network in Tan-Tan

Rabat – Judicial police in Tan-Tan dismantled an active criminal network in charge of irregular migration and human trafficking operations. The operation was launched after local police received information from the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST).

Police officers arrested the network’s three ringleaders and five operators, as well as eight individuals suspected to be irregular migrants, the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) indicated in a press release.

In the statement, DGSN reported the seizure of two cars with fake license plates, 10 cellphones, four bladed weapons, 1.3 kilos of hashish, and an undefined amount of cash.

The detainees were placed under police custody for judicial investigation. The public prosecutor’s office will supervise the investigation to identify any other potential members and partners operating for the criminal network at the national and international levels.

Earlier this month, Moroccan police arrested five Individuals for drug trafficking and falsification of COVID-19 vaccine data in Mehdia and dismantled a blackmail and kidnapping network in Casablanca.

In the fight against human and drug trafficking, DGSN has carried out several operations in partnership with local authorities such as the Royal Navy, the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) and the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST) as well as international partners, notably Interpol, Europol, and Iberian security authorities.

European Union states and institutions remain major partners of Morocco on migration and security issues.

Since 2013, the European Union has supported Morocco in the implementation of its National Strategy on Migration and Asylum. The strategy seeks to “ensure a better integration of immigrants and better management of migratory flows within the framework of a coherent, global, humanist, and responsible policy.”

With a $207 million (MAD 1.93 billion) budget, the EU financed seven projects in Morocco to assist migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in vulnerable situations.

As Morocco continues to be both a host and transit country, as one of the main transit points in the Mediterranean for Moroccan and Sub-Saharan migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

In 2021, Moroccan authorities dismantled 150 irregular migration networks, detained 415 suspects of human trafficking, and 12,231 irregular migrants.