Severe Sentencing for Human Traffickers in Fez
On June 3, 2026, the Primary Criminal Court specializing in financial crimes at the Court of Appeals in Fez delivered a significant verdict against a human trafficking network involved in organized illegal migration. The court imposed a total of 23 years of effective imprisonment on those accused in the case. The legal proceedings were triggered by investigations related to unauthorized migration attempts via the coasts of Al-Hoceima and Nador, which unfortunately resulted in the tragic loss of several migrants at sea. This prompted a wide-ranging investigation to uncover those responsible for these operations.
The inquiries successfully identified five individuals suspected of being connected to this illicit activity, with one suspect being apprehended after being extradited from Spain. The remaining four suspects are still at large, and in their absence, the court issued in absentia verdicts against them. The detained suspect received a sentence of three years in prison along with a fine of 100,000 dirhams after being found guilty of charges related to organizing illegal migration, although he was acquitted of several other accusations.
Moreover, the court handed down in absentia sentences of five years in prison for each of the four other defendants, accompanied by a fine of 100,000 dirhams for each, along with the legal costs. This case is linked to a network that operated systematically in human smuggling and organizing illegal migration operations, which culminated in a maritime disaster that claimed numerous victims, ultimately leading to the dismantling of the network and the prosecution of those involved.
As reported by sabahagadir.ma.
