Moroccan Police Bust Major Car Theft Ring Linked to Europe

Among the accused are civil servants, business leaders, individuals who have already had dealings with the justice system, and intermediaries.

The case began with an audit of the vehicle registration center in Tetouan, which revealed the falsification of ownership and customs clearance documents for more than 300 vehicles. Some of these vehicles would have been stolen abroad, others imported without paying customs duties. Once the documents were falsified, these vehicles were sold on the domestic market.

The investigation showed that corrupt officials were collaborating with intermediaries, merchants and administrative employees responsible for legalizing the documents.

The police checked a sample of vehicles registered in Tetouan in recent years using the Interpol database. Result: dozens of vehicles were reported stolen in several European countries. The other vehicles, legally imported, had subsequently been the subject of document falsifications.

The 22 suspects were taken into custody while the investigation continued to determine the precise role of each in this case.