Morocco: Police dismantle newborn trafficking ring 

Moroccan security services arrested 30 people under suspicion of their involvement in trafficking newborn babies in Fez according to Asharq Al-Awsat and agencies. 

A security source stated that the judicial police, in association with the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), arrested 30 people on suspicion of extortion, threats, manipulation, benefiting from public medical services and trafficking an unknown number of newborn infants. 

Initial data from the investigation shows that some individuals among the arrested were acting as intermediaries in the buying and selling of newborns from single mothers to families wishing to adopt abandoned children. The rest of the suspects totaled one doctor, two nurses, eighteen security agents and several healthcare professionals. 

Some detainees are presumed to be involved in acts of extortion against patients and their families in exchange for consultation appointments, diagnosis and visits, according to the security source.

They also acted as intermediaries in the illegal practice of abortion and medical certificates containing false data. A few arrestees are involved with the forgery of medical consultation appointments and waste of medical supplies along with their sale. 

READ: Algeria and Tunisia team up to tackle smuggling and trafficking 

Police seized medical equipment, prescription-only medications, medications that are not for sale and money in a search carried out at the homes of some of the arrested.  

In order to identify all criminal acts, police placed all of the suspects in custody for further investigation as well as to arrest possible accompanies involved in the crimes.

Asharq Al-Awsat and agencies