COVID-19: Crime in Morocco falls by 20% during lockdown

Moroccan Police said that crimes have dropped by 20 pc in March as the country was locked down to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

According to the data released by the National police, snatching crimes fell 24 pc last month compared with the offenses recorded during the same period of last year. Economic and financial crimes also went down by 23 pc, while violence crimes dropped sharply by 67 pc.

The police also report big drops in robberies at gunpoint and sexual assaults.
Failure to respect the lockdown rules has led to the arrest of 36,048 flouters throughout the Kingdom since the start of the health emergency on March 20.

Among these offenders of the lockdown to last till April 20, 19,368 violators of the restrictions were brought before the public prosecutor’s office. The majority of the arrests took place in Casablanca, which has recorded 5.213 offenses.

Rabat, Morocco’s capital city, came in the 2nd place with 4.741 arrests. It is followed by the city of Kénitra (4.128), Oujda (3.462), Marrakech (3.249), Agadir (2.840), Salé (2.425), Meknes (1.517), Beni Mellal (1.356), Fez (1.168), Jadida (895), Tangiers (851), Tétouan (839), Settat (769), Ouarzazate (738), Laâyoune (560) and Errachidia (522).

The lockdown flouters in Morocco risk prison terms from one to three months and fines of up to $130. Those who leave their homes without wearing facemasks also risk the same sentence and fines.

In Morocco, the novel coronavirus has so far killed 128 people and infected 2251, while 247 others recovered. Covid-19 is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world. More than 2 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus, while death toll tops 138,000-mark.