Rabat – Moroccan police in the Oriental region arrested eight suspects today for their alleged involvement in a criminal network engaged in the forgery of documents related to Schengen visa applications.
The suspects are also facing charges of human trafficking and irregular migration.
Police made the arrests in simultaneous operations in the cities of Oujda, Nador, and Berkane following suspicions regarding their involvement in the forgery of administrative documents, banking records, and other documents that are part of travel visa application files for European countries.
Moroccan state news outlet SNRTNews quoted a security source as saying that the forged files are believed to be used by criminal networks linked with irregular migration.
Police seized several forged documents and forgery equipment during the operations, including counterfeit stamps, seals, a computer, and other electronic devices.
They also seized bank transfer receipts and cash payments in both national and European currencies, suspected of being the proceeds of counterfeiting and other criminal activities.
The suspects have been taken into police custody for further investigation to uncover all details related to the case as well as to arrest potential accomplices involved with the criminal network.
Morocco has reiterated its determination to fight irregular migration as thousands of would-be migrants continue to flock to the North African country due to its proximity to Europe.
In its 2022 annual report, Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) said that police arrested 32,733 would-be irregular migrants, including 28,146 foreigners of a wide range of nationalities.
In the same year, police also identified and seized around 832 false travel documents.
