Mauritanian Sentenced to 20 Years for Smuggling Polisario Uniforms in Morocco

Prosecuted under arrest, the 40-year-old Mauritanian Salem A. was found guilty of crimes and complicity in crimes against the internal and external security of the State. Also accused of smuggling goods, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay a heavy fine, reports the daily Assabah.

The defendant was arrested at the end of September at the Tanger Med port in possession of 38 military uniforms bearing Spanish insignia and carefully hidden in his truck. During his arrest, the Mauritanian was carrying an identity document with the Polisario logo.

The investigation conducted by the judicial police under the Tangier police prefecture revealed that the defendant was exchanging daily with a group of separatists via an instant messaging application and had already visited the Tindouf camps in Algeria several times.

However, when he appeared before the judge, the defendant tried to deny the facts, claiming that the uniforms found were intended for hunters and that he had no connection with the Polisario Front.