Authorities Arrest Fes Residents for Migrant Smuggling
On Wednesday, members of the Financial and Economic Brigade of the Judicial Police in Fes arrested a man and his mother, suspected of involvement in fraud related to illegal immigration to Italy. The suspects were brought before the Public Prosecutor at the Court of First Instance following a complaint from an individual who accused them of defrauding him of 85,000 dirhams under the pretense of assisting him in illegally migrating from Libya to Italy.
According to the public prosecutor's decision, the primary suspect was charged with fraud and facilitating the illegal exit of Moroccan nationals from the country. His mother faces charges of complicity in the fraud. While the son was remanded in custody at the local prison in Borkayz, his mother was released on bail, and both were scheduled for trial in the Fes Criminal Court.
Sources revealed that the case arose when the victim filed a complaint against the suspects, stating that he had been promised assistance in reaching Italy. After negotiations, the victim transferred various sums of money to the suspects, totaling 85,000 dirhams, in exchange for this illegal passage.
Upon arriving in Libya, the victim found himself and others seeking to migrate in a shelter, where the journey became complicated. Several individuals were detained, prompting the victim to send additional funds to secure his release after already having paid for the initial migration attempt. The investigation revealed multiple monetary transactions, including amounts of 50,000, 30,000, and 15,000 dirhams, all linked to the fraudulent scheme.
The main suspect admitted to being in contact with an individual known as "Hajj Ilyas," who is involved in organizing illegal migration to Italy. He claimed to act as a mediator for this person and confessed to receiving money for his services. The suspect denied that his mother had received the funds in question, except for a 20,000 dirham advance related to travel expenses to Libya.
In response, the mother firmly denied any involvement in the alleged crimes, stating that she had only received the aforementioned advance payment. The investigation included confrontations between the parties, during which the victim maintained his claims about the funds paid for migration assistance. The primary suspect acknowledged his role in facilitating the process for others seeking to migrate, for which he received a fee.
The investigation also produced a video recording presented by the victim, which purportedly detailed the main suspect's involvement in the smuggling operation. Upon viewing the footage, the suspect recognized himself and confirmed that he had received 5,000 dirhams for each person he assisted in migrating to Italy.
After concluding the investigation, both suspects were presented to the public prosecutor, who decided to proceed with charges against the son while allowing the mother to remain free on bail. Their trial commenced today in the Fes Criminal Court.
As reported by goud.ma.
