El Guergarat: Moroccan Police Prevent 47 Kilos of Cocaine From Crossing Border

Fez – In a successful joint operation between the National Police and National Customs officials at El Guergarat border crossing, situated south of Dakhla, Moroccan security services foiled an attempted drug smuggling and seized more than 47 kilograms of cocaine.

According to sources from the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), the cocaine was traveling from the sub-Sahara, but the exact location of origin is not specified.

The drug was discovered on board an international transport truck registered in Morocco, en route to the El Guergarat border crossing. It was distributed in 40 packets carefully hidden in refrigeration devices.

But the attempt was foiled on Thursday afternoon due to the joint operation by Moroccan authorities.

The driver of the truck, a 40-year old Moroccan national, was arrested and placed in police custody under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor’s office. He will be subject to questioning regarding his involvement with this case, as well information on his conspirators.

Authorities are determined to unravel the network of connections, both local and international, associated with this crime in order to bring all perpetrators to justice.

The intervention took place as a result of increased cooperation between DGST, border control, and on-the-ground coordination with customs services at crossings.

This ongoing collaborative effort resulted in the handling of 99,513 cases and the arrest of 130,212 individuals involved in drug cases in 2023.

The operations enabled police to seize 81 tons of cannabis marking a 17% decrease compared to a year earlier, along with two tons of cocaine, and over six kilograms of heroin. Police also seized 1,223,774 ecstasy tablets, and other psychotropic substances.

Morocco’s security approach includes strengthening road surveillance to tackle drug trafficking, in addition to awareness-raising campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of drug use and addiction.