The representative of the public prosecutor at the Casablanca Appeals Court revealed today close links between the criminal smuggling network known as “the Desert Escobar” and a large shipment of drugs seized in the city of El Jadida, amounting to approximately 40 tons.
The Deputy Prosecutor General highlighted that investigations have uncovered an organized transnational network involved in the transport, storage, and export of drugs.
### Beginning of the Network’s Dismantling
According to details presented by the public prosecutor’s office, the dismantling of this network began with a critical point following the arrest of an individual involved in the 40-ton case, which resulted in several suspects being referred to court on charges of transporting, storing, and exporting drugs.
The Deputy Prosecutor General explained that the subsequent investigations revealed extensive ramifications of the case, branching into other files concurrent with other criminal acts, allowing authorities to outline a clear picture of the organized network extending beyond Morocco’s borders.
In the court session, the prosecution provided detailed information about arrests and confessions that formed the backbone of the case. Notably, the arrest of suspect Abdelkader Allawi was highlighted, as he was caught in possession of over 70 kilograms of cannabis resin, alongside a drone used to facilitate smuggling operations. Other suspects’ statements were also noted, particularly that of Slimane Haji, who confessed that his relative, Allal Haji, had tasked him three times with smuggling drugs across the Moroccan-Algerian border.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, Allal Haji admitted to his close relationships with Abdel Nabi Baïoui and Al-Qassim Amir, indicating that the latter had introduced him to the idea of smuggling across the border, prompting Haji to recruit assistants to carry out the missions.
Haji confirmed in his statements that he met with Ahmed Benbrahim, known as “the Desert Escobar,” at Haji’s home in Casablanca, where discussions took place regarding cooperation in smuggling operations on behalf of Baïoui and Amir.
The public prosecutor’s office deemed these meetings as conclusive evidence of an organized network sharing roles among its members to transport drugs to Algeria and other destinations in the region.
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