Drug Lord’s Daring Escape Exposes Corruption in Moroccan Coastal Town

The events took place near Selouane. After weeks of surveillance, the security forces stormed a luxurious villa serving as the headquarters of a man nicknamed "Ould Aïssa". Considered the right-hand man of the caïd "Moussa" recently arrested in Salé, he is suspected of being an essential link in an international cocaine trafficking network, according to the newspaper Assabah.

However, the operation backfired. The suspect managed to escape by using a secret passage hidden in a wall of the villa. Despite warning shots, he forced the security perimeter in a 4x4 vehicle before disappearing.

The continuation of the investigation revealed troubling elements. The villa used as a refuge was the subject of a dispute involving two local elected officials. They would have sold it to the trafficker’s uncle through an unfinished transaction. The two elected officials were heard by the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ) as part of an investigation into possible complicity.

It also emerged that the construction of the building was illegal, as the municipality of Selouane had refused the building permit due to irregularities. The authorities have since initiated a demolition procedure for the property.

The investigations continue to determine the exact circumstances of the escape and identify all the accomplices. According to sources close to the case cited by the Arabic-language daily, "Ould Aïssa" and "Moussa" would only be executors. The real mastermind of the network would be a certain "Latif", who would be directing the operations from Morocco and abroad.