HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
The Royal Gendarmerie's motorcycle unit in Agadir, at the northern entrance to the city, thwarted a sophisticated scam on Saturday that aimed to ensnare victims by claiming to sell "red mercury" for a large sum of money.
The operation came after a light vehicle coming from Marrakech was stopped with three people on board. The search resulted in the seizure of approximately 100 million centimes in cash in their possession, which raised the suspicions of the security elements and prompted them to deepen the investigation. Preliminary investigations revealed that those arrested were connected to a criminal network that operates in fraud and scams, after they had deluded two people into possessing a rare substance known as "red mercury" and offered to sell it to them for the seized amount, with the area of Oulouz in Taroudant province being designated as the scene to complete the deal. Through coordination with various specialized services and under the supervision of the Public Prosecution, a well-executed security operation was carried out that enabled the arrest of two additional people suspected of direct involvement in this case in the Oulouz area. It later became apparent that one of the people who was arrested in Agadir was part of the criminal plot. All suspects have been placed under judicial investigation measures before being presented to the competent Public Prosecution, as part of completing the investigations and revealing all the potential extensions of this network.
