In a groundbreaking verdict, a Moroccan court in Casablanca has sentenced Nabil Moafik to five years in prison and imposed a fine of $107,300 for his involvement in human trafficking. This marks the first such ruling in Morocco against an individual accused of luring victims to scam compounds in Asia. The case centered on several young Moroccans who were deceived by online job offers promising lucrative employment in Thailand. Instead, they were trafficked to Myanmar, where they were forced to work over 9,300 miles from home, participating in online fraud and scams. Moafik, who denied the charges, described human trafficking as a ‘crime against humanity’ he would never commit. Victims present in court recounted harrowing experiences of torture and degrading treatment in Myanmar, with some securing their release only after paying ransoms in cryptocurrency. Prosecutors revealed that Moafik operated a Facebook group aiding Moroccan immigrants in Turkey, where he advertised call-center jobs in Thailand. One victim, Youssef Amzouz, was introduced to another recruiter who demanded he either pay a ransom or recruit 100 others to gain freedom. Moafik claimed he was merely a job mediator, unaware of the trafficking scheme. The International Organization for Migration noted that middlemen often unknowingly participate in such crimes, complicating prosecutions. Morocco’s Foreign Ministry has reportedly secured the release of 34 citizens from similar scam centers in Myanmar, though the total number of affected Moroccans remains unclear.
Moroccan court sentences man accused of trafficking people to scam compound in Asia
