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Morocco is one of the largest producers of cannabis resin in Africa, according to a new report published by the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board.
Released Tuesday, March the 5th, the 2018 survey, which monitors restrictions on narcotics and psychotics in the world, highlighted the major seizures that took place in the Kingdom in 2017.
According to the UN body’s report, Africa is a major transit region for drug trafficking, but «the production of cannabis resin within the continent is limited to Morocco».
Cannabis resin production in Morocco is not the only factor that worries the International Narcotics Control Board. In fact, the Kingdom is considered as one of the biggest cannabis resin distributors in North Africa and Europe.
Morocco’s cannabis resin production, according to the same report, «storms» the region, going through «Spain into the rest of Europe». «Cannabis resin is mostly trafficked from Morocco», the Board added.
The largest total seizures of cocaine
In addition to its production and trafficking, cannabis resin is the narcotic drug the most seized in Africa and Morocco, in particular. Data provided by the Narcotics Control Board suggest that Morocco seized the largest amounts of cannabis resin in the region.
In 2017, Moroccan authorities «reported seizing the largest amounts of cannabis (over 117 tons of cannabis resin and 283 tons of cannabis herb)». Compared to other African countries, the Kingdom seized the second largest amount of cannabis resin during the same year.
«Nigeria (approximately 191 tons of cannabis herb), Algeria (over 52 tons, nearly all of which was cannabis resin), Zambia (over 17 tons of cannabis herb)», reported the same document.
Although cannabis resin is the most seized drug in Morocco, cocaine has its own share of the cake. In 2017, authorities in the North African Kingdom reported the «largest total seizures» of cocaine in the region.
Morocco seized 2.8 tons of cocaine, a huge number compared to other African countries, including Angola (153 kg), Nigeria (92 kg), Kenya (11.78 kg), and Cameroon (5.2 kg).
When it comes to heroine, Morocco seized, during the same year 11.47 kg, listed among the few countries in Africa that reported heroin seizures. «Kenya (112.6 kg), Nigeria (85.4 kg), Algeria (2.1 kg), Côte d’Ivoire (approximately 1.7 kg) and Madagascar (1 kg)», the same source reported.
In North Africa, Algeria tops the list of countries that reported seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants. The neighboring country seized in 2017, «over 1.2 million tablets of amphetamine-type stimulants, including 246,000 tablets of MDMA», while, «authorities in Morocco reported seizures of nearly 550,000 tablets of MDMA trafficked from Europe».
The report concluded that Morocco is becoming one of the African countries that witness a rapid increase of tramadol. In 2017, Morocco managed to seize nearly 40 million tablets of tramadol.
