Linkages Between Terrorism and Drug Trafficking in North Africa

Until the moment when 16 terrorist attacked in Casablanca and caused the killing of 44 people, the Moroccan regime had been taking a low profile in the treatment of cannabis crop growing and trafficking. In the 90s, the former king Hassan II formed an agency for the development of northern Morocco under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior. The cultivation and smuggling of hashish had a formal treatment The production is legal and controlled... traffic is penalized, but you can fight as long as demand... the benefits are extended to the European mafia.

The attacks in Casablanca and the fear of an alliance between Islam and the violent drug gangs changed Mohamed VI ideas. The area for drug farming was 100,000 hectares and the production stood at just over 2,000 tons. Today, the Moroccan Government admits, for the first time that exists 134,000 hectares of crops which produce 3080 tons of hashish. For sharing profits, data compiled by the Agency of Northern Development, farmers receive $ 214 million (0.57 of Moroccan GDP), while Traffickers are pocketing 12,000 million. It is not clear what is the area reserved for drug traffickers operations in Morocco and those for acting outside the country that have Moroccan nationality.

The alarm went off when, after complaints by some independent media, the security services arrested thirty commanders of their own security forces and the judiciary, police, gendarmes, customs officers, spies, and judges. Due to the seizure of guns among drug dealers bloody clashes between rival gangs resulted in several deaths. This event pushed the regime of Mohamed VI to seek international help to eradicate this problem.

The ramifications of the Islamist groups linked to the Salafiya Jehadi with hashish trafficking networks made to fear the Colombian scenario , as has been reported repeatedly in the independent Moroccan press, as vetoed by the Moroccan government

Since the killings in Casablanca, the anti terrorist services have arrested more than 6,000 people, of which 1500 are already in jail, purging sentences between two and twenty years.

The National Intelligence Center, concerns with the developments in northern Morocco, where the cells terrorists. Police operations dismantled terrorist camps in areas controlled by drug traffickers.

The possibility of an alliance between rival drug trafficking and Islamic terrorism native gangs or network linked to Osama bin Laden has warned all Western intelligence services.

The publication of the Report on drugs made by the authorities in Rabat in collaboration with UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is considered Morocco opening to international collaboration. The UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa, who has held extensive meetings with various specialists and consultants from the Moroccan Royal Palace Alawite estimated that is a seriously situation. This represents a 180 degree change in attitude from Morocco for many years.

Brussels closely monitor all movements of money from, to and within the European Union. The fight against terrorism and drug trafficking charges, each time has a higher price. The police control increase in Europe, on the streets and transportation systems with more agents and presence of television cameras. European governments, even skeptics now have confirmed the will to close the terrorist international financial world. Brussels aims to seal the sources of financing of international terrorism .

Under the draft regulations submitted by the Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, the personal information on both the sender and destination and the consignee of all wire transfers to and from the European Union are recorded, stored and used in case of suspected people and money have to do with terrorism and / or drugs.

The credit institutions must notify the police and research institutions in the information collected when there is suspicion of money laundering and / or connections to terrorism and drug trafficking.

For any transfers within the European Union on behalf of paying sufficient and bank account number. If the receiving bank requires more information, persons involved are required to deliver, said a finance expert from the European Commission. So far the bank of the recipient knew little about the person running the shipments.

The monitoring and information delivery will be made regardless of the amount of money involved, because even at low amounts can fund terrorism.

The new regulations not only lies with the banks and bank drafts, but also lawyers, notaries, real estate dealers and owners of casinos. They are required to establish the identity of participants in transactions over 15,000 Euros. Moreover, in case any of the professionals were to be suspicious about the provenance or destination of money involved, should report it to authorities.

The monitoring of money transfers is really part of the Action Plan against Terrorism, which the European Union dismissed after the violent events of 11th September and has been adapted to the situation.