A recent arrest in Morocco has brought to light a case of human trafficking and forgery of Schengen visa documents. The suspect was apprehended by Nador’s National Security, in cooperation with the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST).
The security source stated that the suspect is part of a criminal network with a history of forging administrative documents required for obtaining European visas. The suspect was charged with alleged involvement in irregular immigration and was found in possession of forged documents, commercial records, work certificates, stamps, fake marriage contracts, and receipts for cash transfers.
The National Security database revealed that the suspect is wanted by the National Judicial Police Division and the Royal Gendarmerie Services of Settat for his suspected involvement in counterfeiting, selling, and distributing drugs. A judicial investigation is currently underway to identify all individuals involved in these criminal acts.
Morocco has seen several cases of suspects involved in the forgery of documents related to Schengen visa applications. In a report from Morocco World News, it was mentioned that in October of last year, Moroccan police arrested eight suspects for their alleged involvement in document forgery in Oujda, Nador, and Berkane.
The figures from Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) for 2022 revealed that the police detained 32,733 people attempting to migrate unlawfully, including 28,146 foreigners from various countries. Additionally, 832 false travel documents were identified and seized. During the same year, Moroccans filed a total of 423,201 Schengen visa applications, the highest number from any African country. Of these applications, 57.5% received a positive response, representing 282,301 requests.
These events underscore the importance of vigilance in the visa application process and the cooperation between law enforcement agencies to combat human trafficking and document forgery. Travelers should remain cautious and ensure that they obtain their visas through legitimate and legal means.
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