Moroccan Border Guards Sentenced for Aiding Cannabis Smuggling Operations

In addition to the prison sentences, the Criminal Chamber at the Court of Appeal of Rabat in charge of financial crimes also fined them 122,425,620 dirhams, reports the Arabic-language daily Assabah. The two soldiers are accused of having received bribes exceeding 100,000 dirhams "to turn a blind eye" to an international drug trafficking case. This involves six cannabis resin trafficking operations from a border post in the Assilah area.

The two soldiers were also involved in an attempt to export 4 tons of cannabis resin off the coast of Assilah. In addition to thwarting the operation, the Royal Navy surveillance services had seized more than 52 barrels of fuel, two inflatable boats, four engines, plastic maritime uniforms and other accessories.

All the people involved in these various cases had been arrested as part of an investigation opened by the security services under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor’s office.