Police Action Against Illegal Migration Promotion
In a significant crackdown on illegal migration, Moroccan authorities have apprehended ten individuals, including two minors aged 16 and 17, who are suspected of spreading misinformation and online content that encourages collective attempts to migrate illegally to Ceuta and Melilla. This operation was reported by the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) on September 23. The arrests were executed by the judicial police in collaboration with the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance across various cities including Témara, Béni Mellal, Casablanca, Taza, Marrakech, Fès, Taroudant, and Nador.
The DGSN indicated that digital surveillance units had identified social media posts discussing preparations to breach security barriers at Ceuta and Melilla. These posts reportedly incited social media users to participate in scheduled collective crossings, which were timed to coincide with the legislative elections in Morocco. Following thorough technical investigations and field inquiries, the suspects were identified and taken into custody. Ongoing investigations are being conducted under the oversight of relevant prosecutor's offices to clarify the circumstances and implications surrounding this case.
This operation is a direct response to online calls encouraging a mass attempt to breach the borders at Ceuta. In light of these developments, Spanish authorities have activated preventive measures after the dissemination of posts that suggested the Moroccan mobilization around electoral security represented a "unique opportunity" to evade border controls. These alerts follow closely after massive crossings that occurred on July 30 and 31, which had also been preceded by similar online campaigns according to Spanish intelligence services.
As reported by yabiladi.com.
