Nine young Moroccans missing after attempting swim to Ceuta

The families of nine young Moroccans, including two minors, are urgently appealing for assistance to locate them after they vanished while attempting to swim to Ceuta.

Among those missing are cousins Suleiman and Ahmed Amrine, aged 21 and 33, hailing from the Beni Hassan area of Tetouan province. They embarked from Fnideq towards Ceuta on the night of July 17.

Another young man, Adil El Jellouti, 18, from El Jadida, also went missing around the time of the World Cup celebrations. He was last seen in a black-and-white wetsuit, wearing a white Moroccan national team shirt, blue fins, and swim shoes. He has a distinctive tattoo on his left hand.

Hicham El Mansouri, 22, has not been heard from for about a week. His last contact was from Agadir. He entered the sea wearing a bright blue jacket and dark blue trousers.

Further concerns extend to Houdaifa El Araafi, 20, whose family lost contact last Friday after he expressed intentions to undertake the crossing.

The missing also include Wael Brouhou, a 17-year-old, and his friend Youssef. The pair set off together on Sunday night. Wael was wearing a blue-and-black wetsuit.

Ilyas Aghrassi, 19, has not been heard from for about a week following his attempt to reach Ceuta from Morocco.

The whereabouts of Saad Bazine, born in 2008 in Chefchaouen, remain unknown since he departed Fnideq on July 19. Although his friend returned safely, there has been no word on Saad.

Amid these troubling disappearances, Spain’s Civil Guard emphasizes the necessity of formally reporting missing persons both in Morocco and to Spanish authorities. This ensures their inclusion in official databases, rather than relying solely on social media and media reports.

The Civil Guard’s forensic experts are engaged in identifying bodies and analyzing data, aiming to resolve these cases and uncover the fate of the missing individuals.