Rabat – Police in Tangier, northern Morocco, thwarted on Saturday, July 9 an irregular migration attempt, arresting 25 individuals from sun-Saharan countries.
The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) said in a press release that the suspects were apprehended at a road checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Tangier.
The arrest came immediately after the group of migrants arrived on board a bus; they were in possession of 36 hand made iron objects that they were planning to use in a collective migration attempt, according to DGSN.
Investigations carried out revealed that all of the migrants do not have any identity document or travel document, and that they had been living in Morocco illegally.
They were submitted to a judicial inquiry ordered by the public prosecutor’s office to unveil all the circumstances surrounding this case and identify the people involved in the organization of the collective irregular immigration attempts.
The case takes place in an intense context following the recent incident near the Spanish enclave of Melilla.
On June 24, not less than 2,000 irregular migrants attempted to cross the fence separating Nador, in Morocco’s Oriental region from the Spanish enclave of Melilla.
The incident turned violent after clashes between the migrants and the police, and videos later emerged of the migrants using stones and sharp objects amid intervention from the police to prevent them from crossing the fence.
Resulting stampedes killed at least 23 irregular migrants, while over 140 police forces sustained injuries during clashes.
