October 30, 2024 – 3:00 pm – Morocco
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The court in Casablanca issued heavy sentences to a group of twelve young men who plundered a stuck Polish ship. Nine of them received five years in prison. The remaining three suspects were acquitted.
The youth were accused of “theft at sea, in groups and at night,” a crime severely punished under Article 508 of the Moroccan Penal Code. They had entered a 60-metre-long ship that ran aground off the coast of Ain Sebaa in July last year.
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The ship, which was temporarily unmanned, caught the group’s attention. They used inflatable rafts to board the ship and stole personal belongings, food and equipment from the six-member crew, who had come from sub-Saharan Africa.
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The trial, which was delayed due to strikes and the absence of lawyers, highlights the changing crime rate in port areas. Morocco, with its long coastline and crowded ports, is witnessing the emergence of new forms of crime that pose new challenges to the authorities. The tough sanctions show Morocco’s determination to protect its coastal areas and maritime heritage.
