Moroccan Customs Seize 780 kg of Prehistoric Bones and Fossils in Smuggling Crackdown

These bones are composed of jaws, vertebrae, ribs and femurs of vertebrates, while the fossils concern the original trilobites welded to pieces of rock, original ammonites as well as part of the skeleton and a vertebral column of a Mosasaur, specifies the Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration (ADII) in its recent annual report.

In addition, 1,700 kg of prohibited sea urchin eggs, 12 anesthetized live falcons and two leopard skins were discovered by the customs services during the period, the same source adds, stressing that these protected species (fauna or flora) remain highly prized by traffickers.

As part of the mission of protecting the national environment and heritage entrusted to it, customs is fully mobilized in the fight against the international trafficking of stolen cultural heritage objects and endangered wild flora and fauna species.