Morocco: Record-Breaking Ecstasy Pills Seizure in Tangiers-Med Port

Moroccan police have seized on Monday at the Tangiers-Med port 241,319 ecstasy pills, the biggest ever bust of this illicit substance in the North-African country.

Manufactured in Europe, the drugs were bound to Morocco. Two involved persons, who were aboard a four-wheel drive car, were arrested, said Moroccan authorities.

The haul confiscated is part of sustained efforts made by the Moroccan security services to fight international criminal networks operating in psychotropic drug trafficking and dealers.

Ecstasy, or E as it is known on the street, is the chemical compound MDMA (methylenedioxyamphetamine). Ecstasy pills can sometimes kill drug takers but more commonly induce nausea, panic, paranoia and agitation.

Experts have warned the drug is getting stronger, leading to a rise in the number of people going to hospital for treatment for mental and behavioral issues.

Convinced of the necessity of a comprehensive approach to combat drug- related issues, Morocco has adopted an anti-drug strategy seeking to fight traffickers, distribution networks, suppliers and consumers.

This strategy also focuses on prosecution, prevention, education, medical treatment of addicts, creation of job opportunities for the youth and speeding of socioeconomic development of vulnerable zones.

Morocco has ratified various United Nations conventions on narcotics and psychotropic substances (1961, 1971, and 1988) and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000).

The North African country fully co-operates with its partners in drug trafficking, maintains a close relationship with the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB) and includes the international community and donors in its anti-drugs efforts.