The National Judicial Police arrested 30 individuals, including some allegedly with criminal records, along with three members of Morocco’s public security forces, in Nador in northern Morocco last week on suspicion of being involved in international drug trafficking, organizing illegal migration, and human trafficking.
The detainees were allegedly smuggling large shipments of drugs off the coast near the city of Nador and organizing illegal migration operations using high-speed rubber boats imported from Spain for significant financial gain.
Police arrested the suspects in Nador, Beni Ansar, Jerada, and Fez, according to security sources.
The suspects were allegedly operating within an organized criminal network by dividing tasks among the members. Some were in charge of recruiting and accommodating candidates, while others engaged in transporting migrants to European coasts. Some of these operations were organized for the benefit of other criminal networks with transnational reach.
Police also seized 129 kilograms of cannabis resin, 600 grams of cocaine, shipments of psychotropic substances, nine cars with suspicious license plates, several forged car license plates, as well as a rubber boat equipped with a marine engine, as well as money suspected to be the financial proceeds from the criminal activities.
The individuals were remanded into police custody for further investigation under the public prosecutor’s office as to the criminal charges against them and potential local and international connections.
Those arrested were brought before the court in Nador on Saturday.
The Judicial Police, in coordination with the territory surveillance (DGST), is continuing their in-depth investigations to apprehend all individuals involved in the activities of the alleged criminal network.