Doha – The Moroccan Ministry of Interior announced that the vigilance of the country’s security services has enabled the dismantling of more than 200 terrorist cells since 2002.

These cells were engaged in campaigns inciting violence, operating within national borders or linked to various hotspots around the world, particularly in the Sahel, Sahara, and Syria-Iraq region.

According to the ministry’s 2024 achievements report, these operations led to the dismantling of 5 cells and arrest of 17 individuals in 2023.

By the end of September, 4 cells were dismantled, 16 individuals arrested, and the activities of a terrorist network comprising four people aged 35-40 in Tangier, Casablanca, Beni Mellal and Inezgane were thwarted.

The network recruited and sent fighters to join the “ISIS” branch in the Sahel region south of the Sahara.

The ministry affirmed that the national authorities have accumulated significant experience in combating terrorism, based on a proactive security approach aimed at confronting all terrorist risks and threats early on, through permanent and continuous coordination, in full compliance with human rights standards and the rule of law.

Regarding crime fighting and strengthening the sense of security, the ministry stated in the report that “through the daily tracking devoted to combating crime in our country, it can be confirmed that the security situation in the kingdom is normal and under control.”

The action plan adopted achieved important results that helped maintain citizens’ and visitors’ sense of security, positively reflecting the country’s image in terms of security and stability, it added.

Efforts by local authorities and security services in the first 7 months of this year recorded good indicators in combating crime in all its forms.

The number of crimes and offenses recorded reached about 641,900 cases, with offenses against persons and property accounting for about 47% of total cases nationally.

Geographically, the report noted that crime in Morocco remains more concentrated in cities (69% of total crimes and offenses recorded) while the rest is recorded in rural areas.

Efforts led to a 91% case resolution rate, with approximately 471,550 people, including 4% minors, arrested and referred to justice.

Offenses and crimes impacting citizens’ sense of security numbered about 206,170 cases, or about 32% of total recorded cases.

Sensationalist reporting fuels exaggerated perceptions of insecurity

The ministry confirmed that crime prevalence statistics during the reporting period show that Morocco is still far from global crime rates, noting the modesty of recorded crime figures compared to those in countries that publish regular crime statistics.

On the other hand, the ministry observed that the level of citizens’ feelings of insecurity is sometimes disproportionate to the crime situation, as the exaggeration accompanying some common crimes, rumor-mongering, and how some media outlets cover these crimes all contribute to raising the level of feeling unsafe without supporting this feeling with objective data.

As a result, and in order to enhance the sense of security, the ministry announced initiatives focused on combating certain crime manifestations that worry the public and negatively affect the sense of security.

These include carrying weapons, drug trafficking, pickpocketing, and crimes near educational institutions, in addition to responding to and quickly processing citizens’ complaints, especially those related to assault and theft.

Regarding combating new types of synthetic drugs, such as “Pufa” or “Crack,” the ministry confirmed that security services and local authorities are working hard to confront the security challenges and criminal risks they pose to public security and order.

From January 1, 2020 to July 31, 2024, about 780 Pufa drug cases were recorded, resulting in the arrest of more than 1,000 people and seizure of over 13.9 kg of this drug.

In a separate section of the report, the ministry revealed that in the first nine months of 2024, the services concerned with combating migrant smuggling networks dismantled 210 criminal networks and thwarted 48,963 attempts to smuggle migrants.

The Royal Moroccan Navy also rescued 14,260 people of national and foreign nationalities from drowning while attempting to illegally cross to the northern shore of the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

The ministry worked to voluntarily repatriate 4,388 migrants to their countries of origin in coordination with their diplomatic missions in Morocco and the International Organization for Migration.