Eight Individuals Arrested for Alleged Links to Criminal Network of Illegal Immigration and Human Trafficking

Rabat - As part of efforts to combat the phenomenon of human trafficking and regulate illegal immigration, following the proper use of accurate information provided by the Directorate General for Territorial Surveillance, and after follow-up and monitoring operations, the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) arrested, on Tuesday morning, eight people for their alleged links with a criminal network active in the organization of illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings, and nabbed a would-be immigrant at Casablanca's Mohammed V international airport.

The search of the suspects' houses resulted in the seizure of foreign residence cards, falsified visas and a batch of passports of would-be immigrants, according to a statement by the BCIJ, adding that elements of the Bureau also seized electronic devices, mobile phones, stamps and three cars.

The suspects were held in police custody to complete the investigation conducted under the supervision of the prosecutor's office, with a view to identifying the accomplices and persons involved in the case, as well as the links of this criminal network in Morocco and abroad, the statement added.

The dismantling of this network is part of security operations to counter organized crime, particularly illegal immigration and human trafficking, and to combat this scourge and its negative impact on security and stability, the same source concluded.