Morocco seizes nearly 1.9 tonnes of cannabis resin in two anti-trafficking operations

Moroccan police seized nearly 1.9 tonnes of cannabis resin (chira) in two separate anti-drug operations carried out in Nador and Souk El Arbaa El Gharb between Wednesday evening and the early hours of Thursday.

In the first operation, conducted in the rural area of Selouane on the outskirts of Nador, officers discovered a utility vehicle carrying 40 packages of cannabis resin weighing a total of 1.28 tonnes. The vehicle was fitted with forged license plates, while its driver managed to escape.

The second operation, carried out at the entrance to Souk El Arbaa El Gharb in coordination with Morocco’s domestic intelligence service (DGST), led to the arrest of a 31-year-old suspect caught transporting 590 kilograms of cannabis resin in another utility vehicle bearing fake registration plates.

A background check revealed that the suspect was the subject of a nationwide arrest warrant issued by judicial police in Tangier on suspicion of involvement in financial crimes.

The suspect has been placed in police custody pending a judicial investigation supervised by the competent prosecutor’s office. Authorities are seeking to identify all those involved and determine the potential links and wider networks connected to the two trafficking operations.