Morocco Customs Seizes 19 Tons of Cannabis, Sees Surge in Psychotropic Drug Seizures

The activity report of the customs administration has provided the figures in detail to justify the effective fight against drugs. Thus, in the case of hard drugs, the seizures were also less important last year compared to 2017, with 132.4 kilos of hard drugs seized in 2018 against 476.7 kilos a year earlier. On the other hand, the number of psychotropic tablets seized (ecstasy, amphetamines, rivotril) increased. It went from 140,000 in 2017 to 836,808 in 2018.

It should be emphasized that the number of smuggled cigarettes has decreased considerably nationwide over the past four years. This is confirmed by a study conducted by the ADII in May 2018, which reported that the prevalence rate of smuggled cigarettes was 3.7%, compared to 5.6% in 2017, 7.5% in 2016 and 14% in 2015. As the ADII points out, this performance "reflects the successful action of the customs services in the fight against the maneuvers of the cigarette smuggling networks, but also the efforts of the other national players in this field".

It is notably the port of Tanger-Med, a hub for drug trafficking, that is in the lead, with 2.5 tons of cannabis seized in 2018, as well as 735,000 psychotropic tablets and 58,900 packs of smuggled cigarettes, according to the ADII. The largest seizures made by customs at the port of Casablanca are around 240 kilos of cannabis resin hidden inside orange juice bricks, 541.3 kilos of pure cocaine packaged in travel bags and 3.9 million cigarettes of foreign origin, reveals the customs administration’s report.

The same source reports that for its part, the regional directorate of the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region seized 73,600 psychotropic tablets and 1.46 tons of cannabis resin. That of Rabat-Salé-Kenitra recorded last year more than 7 tons of kif and 20,000 psychotropic tablets. While the southern inter-regional directorate (DIS) seized 12.5 tons of drugs - all types combined - and 1.68 million smuggled cigarettes.