"The Covid 19 pandemic, increased customs controls and tougher penalties for smugglers have acted as a deterrent to smuggling activities in 2021. The closure of the border crossings of Bab Sebta and Bab Melilia has also contributed to reducing this phenomenon and even led to a 4 billion dirham increase in customs receipts," the customs authority said.

In 2021, customs seized significant amounts of smuggled goods (fabrics, clothing items, sports shoes, hardware, electronic equipment, food products, Covid-19 testing units...) worth some 152 million dirhams compared to MAD 242 million a year before.

The National Customs Brigade carried out 30 specific and targeted interventions on different fraud routes (roads, storage depots and underground production units).

Besides the seizure of smuggled goods worth MAD 31Mln, inspection actions led to the dismantling of 10 illegal workshops producing prohibited plastic bags and the seizure of 100 tons of finished products, raw materials, and equipment used to produce contraband goods.