Morocco: Six suspects arrested in Tetouan cocaine bust

Six suspects have been arrested in the northern port city of Tetouan for alleged distribution and possession of cocaine according to the govenment friendly The North Africa Post on August 10th.

Morocco, sitting at the crossroads of Africa and Europe sees major drug smuggling activity due to its close proximity to Spain, as a result, frequently aiding in European investigations, as well as anti-narcotics operations on its own soil.

In this instance, the Moroccan National Police (DGSN) and the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance say 4 men and 2 women were among those arrested for the offences in Tetouan-a hot spot for drugs activity in Morocco.

The operation also saw coordination with the Royal Gendarmerie, beginning in a rural area near Ouezzane where law enforcement arrested a man and his father in El Kherba village, seizing 4.6kg of cocaine they had in their possession.

The main suspect-who was another member of the family-was tracked down after an investigation led officers to the village of Dardare, where they allegedly opened fire at officers with a hunting rifle hoping to resist arrest.

Once police managed to bring the alleged gunman into custody, officers were also able to arrest another man and two women. Officers on the property were then able to seize the firearm, two cartridges, a large knife, an extra 200 grams of cocaine, two electric scales, two suspected fake license plates and five vehicles believed to have been used in drug trafficking.

The main suspect, it was revealed through police database checks, was already wanted nationwide in relation to other drugs and narcotics cases.

The bust on the criminal network has led to the arrest of six individuals and significant seizures. The suspects remain in custody under supervision of the public prosecutor’s office, they also face further investigation to determine the full-scope of the operation and identify other individuals that could potentially be lined to the criminal network.

The North Africa Post, Maghrebi.org