Rabat – Police in Fez have charged eight people, including a nurse and a herbalist, over suspicions of illegal drug sales and aiding abortions.
The arrests took place on Friday, November 29, when officers caught a woman red-handed with 50 abortion pills. Investigations revealed she was supplying them to a nurse working in a local clinic.
A search of another suspect’s home uncovered 49 more pills, medical equipment, pregnancy tests, banknotes, and falsified medical papers.
According to reports, several others linked to the case were detained during the investigation.
Two suspects are now in custody, while the rest have been released on bail, as police continue to investigate the network’s crimes.
In a similar case, Fez made headlines again in October when police cracked down on a newborn trafficking network.
The case blew up after a massive police operation last January.
Over two days, officers arrested 34 suspects, including health professionals, private security guards, and intermediaries.
The crimes were jaw-dropping. Patients and their families were reportedly extorted for access to medical services. Unmarried mothers were pressured into giving up their babies for cash, with intermediaries linking them to adoptive families.
The arrests also led to raids uncovering stolen medical supplies, including prescription-only drugs and expensive equipment. These were found in the homes of private security guards, believed to have been stolen from hospitals.
Four people walked free after being cleared of all charges. But others weren’t so lucky. A nurse and an unemployed woman were handed three-year prison sentences.
Additionally, a security guard got two years, while two women received one-year terms. One of them was already serving a two-year sentence for counterfeiting administrative documents.
Two others—another security guard and an ambulance driver—were also sentenced to one year. Meanwhile, 23 others received jail time ranging from two to six months.
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