Morocco sits at one of the world’s most strategically significant crossroads, just 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar, with one foot in Africa and the other pointed toward Europe. That geography has long attracted people, goods and capital, and increasingly, individuals fleeing law enforcement.
Over the past two years, Morocco has become one of the most active nodes in the global fugitive-capture network.
Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) processed more than 6,800 international cooperation requests in 2024 alone.
The country’s Interpol National Central Bureau handled more than 7,000 requests, helping recover 380 stolen vehicles and contributing to 135 arrests through international judicial cooperation.
Spain accounted for 37% of those cooperation requests, followed by France with 28%, both countries with large Moroccan diaspora communities, significant drug trafficking flows and organized crime networks that stretch across the Mediterranean.
Operation Neptune VII in 2025, a joint Mediterranean border security initiative involving Morocco, saw database checks rise from 16 million in 2024 to 30 million, while arrests more than doubled from 66 to 153.
Why fugitives end up in Morocco
Fugitives are drawn to Morocco because it is relatively easy to enter, difficult to monitor in certain areas and useful as a logistical base.
The 2025 Global Organized Crime Index ranked Morocco 79th out of 193 countries. The country’s geographic positioning makes it a source, transit point and destination for trafficking operations, including human smuggling and drug trafficking.
For fugitives, that same infrastructure, including smuggling networks, false documentation and a cash-based economy, can provide cover.
Smuggling networks operating through Morocco are often led by Moroccan nationals and exhibit flexible, evolving structures shaped by technology, migration patterns and political developments.
These networks are frequently linked to drug trafficking and document fraud, offering resources for individuals seeking to evade capture.
Morocco also serves as a strategic hub for cocaine transit from South America to Europe, with seizures rising in recent years, including a case exceeding one ton in early 2024. Such criminal ecosystems tend to attract further illicit activity.
Tanger Med as a security chokepoint
The port of Tanger Med has become a key arrest site.
Morocco has been integrating its security infrastructure with Interpol’s I-24/7 system, a secure communications network connecting all 196 member countries. This allows authorities to instantly check passports against global databases, increasing the likelihood of detecting individuals using flagged or fraudulent documents.
However, these efforts also reflect a broader strategic approach.
Morocco has been developing a deliberate security diplomacy strategy, with international police cooperation at its core.
The DGSN has strengthened its international presence, notably by securing the position of vice president for Africa at Interpol during the 92nd General Assembly in Glasgow. The agency has also signed cooperation agreements with multiple partners, including Brazil’s Federal Police and Abu Dhabi Police.
Marrakech hosted the INTERPOL General Assembly in November 2025, where delegates approved a new five-year strategic framework for the organization’s global activities. Hosting the event underscored Morocco’s ambition to position itself as a key player in international security cooperation.
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