Electric scooters, originally a practical and environmentally friendly means of transport, have taken a worrying turn in recent years, becoming a tool used by criminal networks for drug trafficking, particularly cocaine. This new method of distributing illicit products is increasingly observed in several large cities.
Electric scooters have seen massive adoption in major cities across the world, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, where they have become a preferred choice for many city dwellers. However, this popularity has also attracted the attention of criminals who have misused this tool to facilitate their illicit activities.
Scooters offer discretion and accessibility, allowing items, including illegal substances, to be transported without attracting attention. In addition, the possibility of leaving them unattended in self-service stations makes their traceability difficult for law enforcement. An example of this phenomenon occurred in Casablanca, where a cocaine trafficking network was dismantled. According to the newspaper Assabahone of the members of this network was intercepted by the judicial police while he attempted to deliver three and a half kilograms of pure cocaine, using an electric scooter. The individual, originally from northern Morocco, intended to distribute the drugs by moving discreetly around the city, using the vehicle to avoid attracting attention.
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This incident is part of a series of similar events where scooters are used to transport illicit products across the city, a phenomenon increasingly observed in urban areas where these vehicles are commonly used by the general public. The speed of this means of transport and its low cost make it a preferred option for criminals seeking to avoid surveillance by the authorities.
The arrest of a cocaine baron, KH », in the port of Tanger Med, highlights the extent of drug trafficking between Morocco and Europe. The latter, who served as a link between a gang operating in the Netherlands and Spain and his accomplices in Morocco, was arrested while trying to leave the country. The trial of this baron, scheduled before the criminal court of Casablanca, risks revealing sophisticated methods for introducing significant quantities of cocaine into Morocco and their distribution through complex networks, including the use of electric scooters for local deliveries.
This type of illegal trafficking highlights the difficulties authorities face in effectively combating drug networks. The use of modern means of transport, such as electric scooters, makes the task even more complex.
Morocco
