South American Cartels Target Morocco as Gateway for Cocaine Trafficking to Europe

Boats and fast boats from South America are the means of transport used by drug trafficking networks to transport cocaine near the Moroccan coasts. The goal is to supply the European and Moroccan markets. According to an authorized source, the transport of cocaine by speedboats has become a means to barter hard drugs for cannabis, according to the daily Assabah. Investigations by the Spanish authorities have shown that the European market is dominated by Moroccans, most of whom have dual nationality, and that they are trying by all means to flood the Moroccan markets with hard drugs.

These investigations proved fruitful. Having in their possession a list of the most important cocaine trafficking networks in the region, the Spanish authorities managed to intercept traffickers in the Canary Islands who were on board a fishing boat flying the Brazilian flag, whose crew was about to transship its cargo of hard drugs to another boat moored near the Moroccan coast. Speedboats carrying cocaine heading for Morocco had also been intercepted by the Spanish National Police and the Guardia Civil. As an example, the latter intercepted a speedboat with six Brazilians and a French national of Moroccan origin on board. According to them, the Franco-Moroccan would be an intermediary between the cocaine trafficking networks in Latin America and who would have links with the drug barons in Nador and Driouch.