Morocco’s National Customs Unit has intensified its investigation into a smuggling network accused of importing and distributing counterfeit diamonds across the country’s jewelry market, Hespress AR has learned.
According to well-informed sources, the probe focuses on a cross-border network operating between Morocco, Belgium, and several African countries. The group is suspected of trafficking large quantities of imitation diamonds, which were later incorporated into the manufacture and sale of gold jewelry in major cities, including Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakesh.
Investigators reportedly tracked suspicious imports of stones accompanied by forged certification documents. The counterfeit gems were allegedly introduced into legal supply chains using falsified quality certificates issued by a Belgian authentication office, one that also provides documentation for unrelated industries, such as food products.
Sources said that customs officers, working with regional inspection teams, intercepted invoices linked to jewelry containing fake diamonds, helping trace the flow of counterfeit goods into luxury boutiques and popular e-commerce platforms. The fake diamond jewelry, mainly rings and bracelets, was sold for between 20,000 and 55,000 dirhams per piece.
Officials said that the network exploited regulatory loopholes and the absence of specialized laboratory testing to flood the market with imitation stones that are difficult to distinguish from genuine diamonds. Even professional jewelers reportedly struggled to detect the forgeries due to the lack of advanced testing equipment.
Customs investigators, supported by the Central Information Analysis Unit, uncovered violations among several registered jewelry manufacturers who failed to record their raw material inventories with customs authorities as required by law. These workshops allegedly used large quantities of fake diamonds in their products, later sold in high-end stores with falsified Belgian certificates.
Sources noted that smugglers capitalized on the high market value of authentic diamonds to deceive traders and customers. Genuine diamonds typically range from 18,000 to 250,000 dirhams per carat depending on purity, color, and origin, while high-quality imitations can cost as little as 10,000 dirhams per carat, sometimes reaching 25,000 dirhams for near-perfect replicas.
Authorities continue to trace the network’s distribution chain and identify points of sale linked to the counterfeit jewelry operation.
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