Nador: Police Dismantle Criminal Network Active in Human Trafficking and Illegal Immigration

26 October 2022 Printable Version

Rabat - Police in the city of Nador dismantled, Wednesday, in close coordination with the services of the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), an organized criminal network active in human trafficking and illegal immigration in the northern provinces of the Kingdom.

In a statement, the National Police (DGSN) said that the security services have conducted several simultaneous interventions in Nador and its surroundings, especially in Zeghanghane, Beni Chiker, Beni Boughafer, Bouarg and Selouane.

These operations led to the arrest of 23 individuals, including Moroccans and four people from sub-Saharan African countries, suspected of having acted as intermediaries to seek would-be immigrants and organize illegal immigration operations by sea, in addition to the mobilization of equipment and logistics used in these criminal activities, said the DGSN.

The searches conducted by the elements of the judicial police during these targeted security interventions have resulted in the seizure of important logistical means, namely 125 outboard motors, eight dinghies, large quantities of marine navigation instruments including GPS, life jackets and navigation and nautical speed measurement instruments as well as gasoline cans.

Police also seized 66 plates of Chira, two jet skis, two pleasure boats and ten cars, some with false license plates, suspected of being used to facilitate these criminal activities, according to the same source.

Searches and investigations also led to the dismantling, by the police, of a workshop for the manufacture of dinghies used in these operations of human trafficking and immigration of people in the region of Selouane.

They also allowed the seizure of materials of manufacture and assembly of the parts of these boats, as well as important quantities of plastic raw materials used in the manufacture of these boats.

The suspects were placed in custody to complete the judicial investigation conducted under the supervision of the competent prosecutor's office in order to identify all suspects involved in this criminal network and to determine its ramifications and possible links both in Morocco and abroad.

The dismantling of this criminal network, with ramifications in several regions and cities, is part of the sustained and constant efforts made by the services of the DGSN and DGST to fight illegal immigration networks and human trafficking.