Rabat – Morocco, represented by the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN), took part in the second International Transboundary Exercise ‘Neptune 2’. In July 2018, Morocco participated in ‘Neptune’, the first version of the exercise.
The exercise was launched by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for the period of July 24 – August 8. ‘Neptune 2’ took place in several Mediterranean ports, including Tangier-Med, Tangier-Ville, and Bni-Anser (Nador).
Interpol’s exercise included representatives of security services, law enforcement agencies, and border police from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Spain, France, and Italy.
According to DGSN’s statement, experts from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) also participated in the exercise.
‘Neptune 2’ aims to unify countries and participating organizations in their efforts to detect and fight the threat of terrorism by sea in the Mediterranean.
The Exercise’s operations focused on strengthening cooperation in the field of exchange of information relating to the security of border posts, particularly between southern Europe and North Africa.
“The operations also included reinforcing routine traveler control operations, careful verification of their travel documents in the area’s ports, control of travelers and goods transport vessels, and the use of Interpol’s databases in the area,” the statement added.
According to DGSN, ‘Neptune 2’ control operations enabled the verification of travel and identity documents of 98,466 travelers on the shipping lines connecting southern Europe to northern Morocco.
“A dozen Intercontinental transport vessels have been scrutinized, resulting in the seizure of passports which are the subject of a theft complaint or a notice of disappearance in unknown circumstances, both in Morocco and abroad,” added the DGSN.
“This periodic exercise testifies to Morocco’s adherence to international and regional efforts to combat terrorist threats and cross-border crimes, and confirms the DGSN’s readiness to improve border control services as well as to cooperate with its counterparts in the Mediterranean region,” the statement concluded.
