Royal Moroccan Navy frees the crew of a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in Tan-Tan

Two Royal Moroccan Navy vessels released without incident the crew of a Liberian-flagged cargo ship that was 110 kilometres off the coast of Tan-Tan and was allegedly threatened by people allegedly involved in an irregular migration episode. 

An elite commando team was involved in the operation to free the cargo vessel initially threatened by 54 irregular migrants. These individuals allegedly intended to divert the vessel to the Canary Islands in Spain in order to reach European soil and complete the crossing. 

‘On 4 November 2024, an alert reached the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Rabat, informing that the crew of a cargo ship, flying the Liberian flag and located 110 km off the coast of Tan-Tan, had been threatened by irregular migration candidates who intended to divert it towards the Canary Islands,’ according to a statement from the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. 

According to the same source, the release of the boat took place without incident thanks to the intervention of members of the Moroccan armed forces. 

The 54 people intercepted were transferred to the port of Tan-Tan and handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for the usual administrative procedures required for anyone involved in irregular migratory processes. 

This operation is part of the Royal Moroccan Navy's efforts to ensure safe navigation and protect the Moroccan coasts from existing threats. The Moroccan Armed Forces carry out relevant operations dealing with organised crime and terrorist threats, as well as the rescue of irregular migrants on the coasts. 

Morocco's efforts against irregular migration continue to be strong both in operations to prevent illegal migration processes and in the arrest and dismantling of criminal gangs engaged in human smuggling that exploit the vulnerability of displaced persons fleeing various dramas in their countries of origin for financial gain. 

The Moroccan kingdom also cooperates closely with other countries, such as neighbouring Spain, to prevent any kind of illegal migratory movement that generates insecurity and various associated crimes. This was demonstrated, for example, in the latest episode of the assault on the borders of Ceuta and Melilla, which was put down by the decisive intervention of the Moroccan security forces, in collaboration with the Spanish forces.