Rabat – Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) apprehended two citizens from sub-Saharan African countries on Wednesday, July 6, as they attempted to smuggle cocaine into the country via Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport.
The culprits, aged 31 and 33, were arrested upon their arrival to Morocco, on a flight that departed from a central African country, Morocco’s MAP news agency reported.
A meticulous search of the suspects’ suitcases revealed six hidden cocaine containers that concealed 17.68 kilograms of the drug.
The two arrested individuals have been placed under police custody, as judiciary police in Morocco continue to look into the case and its local and regional ramifications.
The operation is part of Moroccan security services’ efforts to reinforce the country’s border security and fight against the international trafficking of drugs, a DGSN communique stated.
Morocco has recently intensified its efforts to combat the drug epidemic, through targeting both the illicit drug trade and domestic production and distribution.
The 2021 annual report by the DGSN said that Moroccan security services handled 82,950 cases related to the possession and trafficking of drugs, arresting more than 100,000 people in the process.
The amount of confiscated cocaine saw a particularly sharp increase. Security services seized 1 ton and 433 kilograms of cocaine in 2021, compared to only 132 kilograms the year prior.
