Rabat – Morocco’s national police department (DGSN) announced on Saturday it’s officers have apprehended 20 people suspected of having ties with an irregular immigration network.
Based on intel from the country’s national intelligence service (DGST), local police arrested twenty individuals on Friday with alleged links to a criminal network active in organizing illegal immigration operations.
According to a DGSN statement, the charges include forging official and bank documents required for the application process for the Schengen visa.
Far from being a small-scale operation, the police investigation revealed that the network’s operations were taking place across the country. The twenty suspects were arrested in different cities including Nador, Oujda, Jerada, Martil, Rabat and Sala Al Jadida.
During the investigation, police seized a significant number of incriminating documents and materials directly implicating the suspects in the criminal network. The material and documents include forged stamps of public and banking institutions, visa application documents, and passports.
A police raid further seized large sums of money in national and foreign currencies as well as some drugs.
The initial police investigation reveals that the criminal network received large sums of money from people in exchange for visa appointments and a file containing forged official documents. The network is equally involved in facilitating travel for immigrants by giving them stolen travel documents under different names.
Following the series of arrests, the suspects were held in police custody for the period of the investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office.
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