Moroccan Authorities Bust Drone-Operated Drug Smuggling Ring at Algerian Border

It all started with the detection of suspicious movements via thermal cameras connected to the Ahfir surveillance center. The Royal Gendarmerie elements in Bni Drar, near the Algerian border, began to suspect illegal activity in the border crossings. During an intervention, they managed to apprehend a suspect caught in the act with a drone and a significant quantity of drugs, reports Assabah. In the process, two other individuals managed to escape.

A second suspect was identified during the preliminary investigation, supervised by the Oujda prosecutor’s office. He allegedly provided operational surveillance for the network. Six other individuals suspected of being closely linked to the criminal network, including the mastermind of the operation and his accomplices, still on the run, were also identified. They are all targeted by nationwide search warrants.

After their arrest, the two suspects were presented before the competent prosecutor. Currently, police services are continuing their search to arrest all members of this network. This network is believed to be part of cross-border criminal networks with Algerian and international ramifications, seeking to flood the Moroccan market with various drugs, including hallucinogenic pills, "Captagon," and other particularly dangerous psychotropic substances due to their devastating impact on young people.