MOROCCAN DRUG INTERDICTION: TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

S E C R E T RABAT 000752

SIPDIS
NOFORN

DEPT FOR INL/AAE AND NEA/MAG
MADRID AND PARIS ALSO FOR DEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2019
TAGS: SNAR PINS PINR WADE KARIM MO SG
SUBJECT: MOROCCAN DRUG INTERDICTION: TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE
STEP BACK

REF: RABAT 0486 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i.,
Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (S/NF) Summary: Since at least August 14, when according
to Moroccan media police arrested 16 suspected drug barons in
a major operation across the country, the press has been
reporting regularly on some aspect of the GOM,s efforts to
disrupt the drug trade and apprehend those suspected of
involvement in it. From reports of confiscation and
eradication to implication of current or former high-ranking
or elected officials, observers are treated to a steady diet
of drug-related fare. To date, between 110 and 140 tons of
cannabis has been seized although some has reportedly made
its way back to the streets. With the Islamic holy month of
Ramadan underway, one Moroccan likened this both to an
exercise in "cleansing" and to a soap opera, remarking that
every year during Ramadan it seems a scandal of some sort
plays out in the papers. Included in this one is the arrest
of Senegalese Minister of State Karim Wade, son of Senegalese
President Abdoulaye Wade. With drugs center-stage this year,
the scene is set for off-camera whispering and back-stage
political expediency. End summary.

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Two Steps Forward
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2. (U) Citing a statement from the National Security Service
(DGSN),Moroccan media reported that on August 14 police
arrested 16 suspected drug barons in a major operation in
several cities across the country. Police seized a large
quantity of hard drugs, as well as false documents, including
identity papers and drivers' licenses. They also impounded
vehicles and other equipment. A police source told one
Moroccan daily that many of the arrests were made in the
northern Tetouan and Nador regions of the country. The
source also said the investigation is expected to yield
further information about what he called one of the biggest
drug busts in Morocco this year.


3. (U) The action comes on the heels of a major operation
earlier this year in which Moroccan police arrested more than
100 persons, also in Nador. Those arrests included police
officers, gendarmes, sailors and soldiers. A trial date has
not been set, as the prosecution continues to develop the
case. The Public Prosecutor at the Casablanca Court stated
on August 25 that criminal justice applies to all persons
shown to be involved in drug trafficking, regardless of their
title or position.

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And Maybe More
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4. (U) Perhaps indicative of the assertion that there is no
one outside the reach of the law, media on August 31 reported
widely on the arrest of former Member of Parliament Mohammed
Jouahi, considered by some to be among the biggest and most
powerful of the drug barons. Jouahi was, and may still be, a
member of the centrist RNI party; some reports note the party
leadership was quick to assert that he was no longer a
member. Further reports of an ongoing crackdown state that
high-profile arrestees have implicated a number of security
officers and attorneys in several areas of the country.
Journalists have speculated that the current campaign against
drug trafficking in the country has come on orders from the
highest levels.

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But One Step Backward
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5. (S/NF) If it is the highest levels that are directing the
crackdown, they may be directing the outcome of drug
interdiction effort as well. It was reported in mid-August
that a senior police official at the Casablanca airport was
abruptly reassigned to a post with no responsibilities in
Layounne, the Western Sahara. The reasons given varied: one
paper stated it was because he had stopped a relative of an
African leader who was carrying drugs; others claimed it was
due to an unspecified series of professional mistakes,
perhaps even a sexual scandal. Intelligence reports confirm
that it was the former, and that the relative stopped was the
son of Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade. The son,
Senegalese Minister of State for International Cooperation,

Land Use, Air Transport and Infrastructure Karim Wade, was
apparently found in possession of hashish while passing
through airport security. King Mohammed VI, with whom Wade
is a close friend, reportedly did not appreciate the actions
of the local authorities who failed to inform him that Wade
had been detained; so he reassigned two officials.

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Comment
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6. (S/NF) While reports of the crackdown on the drug trade
in Morocco suggest that authorities continue to focus on the
problem, their efforts are not immune to politicization.
Given that the younger Wade,s arrest could imperil relations
between Morocco and Senegal, one can understand the King's
pique at the Casablanca airport police. Post reported reftel
on the potential impact of drug eradication on voter
participation in the June local elections; this latest
incident suggests that, despite the king,s ongoing calls for
judicial reform, apprehension for criminal offense, too, is
subject to political expediency. End comment.


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Jackson