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Rabat – The Judiciary Police of Guelmim, southern Morocco, have arrested eight individuals for their alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking network. Police also seized more than 7.5 tonnes of cannabis resin.
The arrests took place on Tuesday, February 11, based on precise information provided by the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), according to a press release from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).
Authorities seized the drugs from several warehouses in the rural commune of Taghjijt, about 80 kilometers east of Guelmim, and an all-terrain vehicle near the town of Assa, around 60 kilometers southeast of Guelmim.
Police also seized four vehicles, a motorcycle, two hunting rifles, 108 rifle cartridges, and a sum of money suspected to be the payout from the group’s criminal activities.
The suspects will remain in custody pending investigations into their possible links with an international drug trafficking network.
The operation was a joint effort between DGST and its mother organization DGSN. The two security organizations coordinate operations regularly to combat cross-border crimes, including international drug trafficking.
The amount of drugs seized is the largest number recorded in a single operation since the start of 2020.
In 2019, police seized a total of 179,657 tons of cannabis and its derivatives, according to the latest statistics from DGSN.
Authorities also seized hard drugs, including 542,455 kilograms of cocaine, 7,196 kilograms of heroin, and 1,407,451 psychotropic tablets.
While cannabis and its derivatives remain the most common illegal drugs in Morocco, MDMA pills are the most trafficked hard drugs, with 974,983 tablets seized in 2019.
