CASABLANCA, Morocco — A Moroccan court has sentenced 29 individuals, including high-profile politicians and sports figures, to prison terms ranging from two to 12 years in a landmark drug trafficking and corruption trial.
The verdict, delivered following a two — year trial in Casablanca, represents one of the largest anti-corruption efforts in Morocco’s history.
The case, which concluded in June 2026, stemmed from testimony by El Hadj Ahmed Ben Brahim, a notorious drug trafficker known as the “Pablo Escobar of the Sahara. “Ben Brahim claimed that his Moroccan political and business associates were involved in drug trafficking and had seized his assets following his arrest in 2019. Among those convicted were Abdennebi Bioui, a construction tycoon and former regional council president; Said Naciri, former president of Casablanca’s Wydad AC football club and former MP; and Belkacem Mir, a former lawmaker and soccer club president, all senior members of the governing PAM party.
Naciri received a 10-year sentence, Bioui a 12-year term, and Mir a 10-year sentence.
The trial, involving over 20 defendants, 18 witnesses, and two civil parties, centered on a sophisticated network that transported Moroccan cannabis resin across North Africa to Europe and Latin American cocaine shipments.
The court also ordered the seizure of assets and imposed hundreds of millions of dollars in customs and exchange fines against the principal ringleaders.
The Moroccan government hailed the trial as a significant victory against corruption and drug trafficking.
However, critics suggested the trial may have been politically motivated, targeting individuals perceived as threats to the regime.
The scandal has reignited debate over corruption in Moroccan political circles and prompted King Mohammed VI to call for the adoption of a legally binding code of ethics to “moralize “parliamentary life.
The public reaction to the verdicts has been mixed, with some expressing relief at the tough sentences while others question the fairness of the trial process.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: aljazeera
Source: AFP and AP
