Police Arrest 14 in Major Drug Bust Near Chefchaouen, Seize Cocaine, Chira, and Alcohol

Rabat – Police arrested 14 people on Thursday in a major anti-drug operation in the rural area of Bab Taza near Chefchaouen.

The anti-gang unit of the Tetouan security services carried out the operation, acting on intelligence provided by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST). The suspects are believed to be part of a criminal network involved in trafficking drugs and psychotropic substances.

Authorities say police caught the suspects in the act of possession and distribution of drugs. A search at the scene led to the seizure of 10.5 kilograms of cocaine and 82 kilograms of “chira,” or hashish resin, a concentrated form of cannabis. Police also seized MAD 860,000 (~$92800) in cash suspected to come from illegal drug sales.

Police also confiscated 1,054 bottles of alcohol, several bladed weapons, electronic weighing scales, fake vehicle license plates, and a light vehicle believed to have been used in the illegal activities.

One of the suspects was already wanted nationally for similar drug-related offenses, police databases showed. All detainees have been placed under judicial investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor to identify possible links and wider networks connected to the case.

Drug trafficking cases are frequently reported in northern Morocco, particularly in mountainous and rural areas near the Rif region. The geography of the region, with its difficult terrain and remote routes, has often been used by trafficking networks to move illegal substances and avoid detection.

Morocco has long been one of the world’s major producers of cannabis resin, much of it originating from the northern Rif mountains.

Morocco has taken steps to regulate parts of the cannabis sector in recent years. The country approved in 2021 a legal framework allowing the cultivation of cannabis for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses under strict state control.

However, the illegal production and trafficking of cannabis resin still continues alongside the formal sector, particularly in areas where cultivation has historically been widespread.

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