This weekend, the security services of the Tangier police headquarters foiled one of the largest illegal immigration attempts in the region. In coordination with the local authorities in the peripheral area of Rahrah, in Tangier, 55 would-be illegal immigrants were apprehended while they were housed in several homes in the same locality. The police also seized four inflatable boats intended for the crossing.
According to media sources, the people arrested were placed under judicial investigation, carried out under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor’s office. The objective is to dissect the circumstances and ramifications of this affair. Investigations are continuing actively to identify and arrest all the accomplices and instigators involved in these criminal acts.
The information collected so far reveals that these illegal migrants were recruited by networks specializing in people trafficking. The latter planned to take advantage of the New Year celebrations to organize the crossing from the beaches of Tangier, hoping to exploit the increased mobilization of European countries during this period. The strategic position of Tangier, located on the Strait of Gibraltar and close to the Spanish coast, makes it a popular area for these networks, attracting both Moroccans and migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
Faced with this threat, the authorities, in particular the Royal Armed Forces and the Auxiliary Forces responsible for coastal surveillance, have strengthened their system. The beaches of Tangier, like those of Achakar and Boubana, are particularly coveted by smugglers because of the difficulty in monitoring them completely. Furthermore, some migrants try to exploit port infrastructure, notably the Tanger Med port and the port of Tanger Ville, by hiding in trucks bound for Europe. Illegal migration networks also use surrounding forests as temporary refuges to hide migrants while waiting for a passage opportunity.
On another level, local courts are overwhelmed by fraud cases linked to dreams of illegal migration. These criminal networks exploit their victims’ desperate quest to cross to the other side, before trapping them in scams and violent attacks. Some victims were seriously injured by stabbing attacks, often committed by members of these networks under the influence of drugs.
