Americans arrested near Taroudant

It was a night patrol of the Royal Gendarmerie of the commune of Tazemmourthat put an end to their activities. Intrigued by suspicious lights coming from an isolated mountain, the gendarmes discovered the individuals in the midst of illegal excavation operations, according to sources cited by Achkayen.

On site, the law enforcement officers seized dozens of fossils dating back several million years, as well as excavation equipment and an all-terrain vehicle.

The suspects were taken into custody and an investigation was opened under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office to determine the extent of this international trafficking network. The fossils, for their part, were entrusted to the regional directorate of the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Agadir.