Morocco: Clampdown on drug trafficking leads to arrest of several people

Policemen on Thursday Arrested in the city of Tangier three people, including two international transport truck drivers, for their alleged links to an international drug-trafficking network.

National security services at the port of Tanger-Med had arrested, Wednesday evening, an international transport truck driver who tried to smuggle 5,400 psychotropic pills into Morocco, National Police said in a release.

Investigations carried out led to the arrest Thursday of the three men, including the main suspect in this case and two truck drivers, for their alleged involvement in the drug trafficking.
Searches carried out at the home of the main suspect in Bni Makada district in Tangier led to the seizure of 1.83 kg of cocaine, bladed weapons, five mobile phones, a motorcycle, an electronic balance as well as 45,500 dirhams, the police said.

In two other separate operations, Moroccan police seized 7.2 tons of cannabis resin in the suburbs of the city of El Jadida, near Casablanca, and in M’Haya near Fez.

During the first operation, police seized five tons of cannabis resin from a utility vehicle intercepted at a house under construction in an area called Tiyaba Dar Choufani, in the province of El Jadida, and arrested a suspect for his alleged involvement in the case.

The second operation enabled the police to seize 2.2 tons of cannabis resin in a farm in the M’Haya region. Police arrested the farm keeper and a second suspect for their alleged involvement in the case.

Police also seized a significant sum of money.

Police put all of the suspects in custody for further investigation to determine the potential ramifications of the drug trafficking at national and international levels and to arrest possible accomplices involved in these cases.

These operations are part of efforts made by national security services to fight drug-trafficking networks.