A court in Casablanca has sentenced former football club president Said Naciri to 10 years in prison and former regional official Abdennabi Bioui to 12 years, in a case linked to an international drug trafficking network.
The two men were among more than 20 defendants accused of involvement in a network allegedly run by convicted Malian trafficker Ahmed Ben Brahim, widely known as the “Escobar of the Sahara.”
Both Naciri and Bioui, former senior members of Morocco’s ruling coalition party, faced charges including corruption, forgery, and drug possession, sale, and export. They have denied all allegations.
The case, which began in 2024, marks the first time senior Moroccan political figures have stood trial in connection with a major drug trafficking operation.
Ben Brahim, who is already serving a 10-year prison sentence in Morocco, told the court that Naciri and Bioui helped move drugs from Morocco across North Africa and the Sahel, and that they illegally seized one of his properties in Casablanca.
Throughout the proceedings, the defence argued there was no material evidence linking the former officials to the alleged crimes. Lawyers said the prosecution relied largely on the testimony of Ben Brahim, who is himself a convicted trafficker.
Lawyers for Naciri and Bioui said they intend to appeal the sentences once they receive the full written judgment.
The verdict is likely to intensify scrutiny of links between politics, business, and organized crime in Morocco.
Source: Africanews
