Newspaper article 20, Contraband Modern in the Fes Medina

Smuggling: the sea, the mountains and Benyouness Gate, sites of well-organized contraband

by Abdel-Ilah Fanich
Rissalat Al-Ouma, No 5561, November 22 2002

In the absence of an effective policy to reduce unemployment rates, unemployed young graduates are unwillingly driven into smuggling
Children, women and old people face dangers; challenge the roughness of the sea and the dangers of the mountains to smuggle goods in spite of fear and panic that haunt them.

Smuggling which most Northern cities of Morocco have been exposed to is an undeniable reality that can by no means be overlooked. It has turned into a means to secure the living of thousands of families and of a great number of unemployed young people and of graduates as well. In the absence and lack of industrial units in border cities, these graduates have no choice except to run risks, to challenge roughness of the sea and the danger of mountains in order to make a living. Anybody heading towards the border centre in the occupied Sebta has to ultimately go through Fnidek, a financially rich small coastal city which is, however, extremely poor in fixtures and equipments. Tons of accumulated waste and garbage, almost non-existent roads, an exhilarating and thrilling square which is used as a bus station, shops and residential houses are lined on the sidewalks; even the coffee shops serve unhealthy food. From early hours in the morning, the main street gets crowded particularly with young sellers and dealers. Everything is up for sale; even smuggled cigarettes are sold by small children. Other kids push hand-made wooden trolleys that are used to carry goods for customers; but their presence is momentary and quick because they will have to leave the place from now and then since they are often chased away by the authorities. In short, it’s Castejo (Fnidek), a city that has turned into a goods hoard and store for smuggled commodities. All along the way between Sebta and Fnidek moves a chain of special cars and taxis, buses, motorcycles, bicycles and hundreds of pedestrians, especially women, who never care of being worn-out and exhausted; what matters a lot for them is safely attaining the big square opposite Sebta’s main entrance as soon as possible. The square often turns into a daily market or a festival. Bundles of goods are scattered everywhere. Thousands of citizens: children, women, elderly, all queue on the right side to go into Sebta; the left side, however, is reserved for those coming back from Fnidek. For those unfamiliar with smuggling, they would certainly think that this is where the real smuggling starts. However, these are only those people struggling to make a living even if the number is less than 10 000 people a day. The main entrance of Sebta Gate is only a cover up and a concealment to turn away people’s attention from the real smuggling which is mainly carried out through the sea or all the way through the nearby mountains. But the most precarious and even hugest smuggling operations are those that are practised at the border line centres by lorries and private cars that often cover the distance between Benyounes Gate and Fnidek at incredible speeds despite the intricacy and complexity of routes. What is really amazing and remarkably miraculous is that those cars loaded with goods often get safe and sound to their destinations in spite of customs barriers. 
Coming back to the occupied border city Sebta, an assessment of the field has shown that this centre is in genuine need of urgent restructuring. The whole current restoration works would not change anything at all since, for the authorities, the situation will remain the same. Yet, the idea that nowadays preponderates is basically founded on the stirring of a common sense of responsibility, professionalism and impartiality. The entire obliteration and eradication of smuggling is a difficult endeavour but it can possibly be organised. So it is assumed that the opening of a special means of access to pedestrians will slow down the trend but would never bring it to a standstill. If the customs officers are not to be blamed, commodity carters hold responsible one of the main leaders in the Customs Department who has not yet come around to the idea that our country has moved into a new age of equal rights and duties. Pretending to have a magic cane is a foolhardy idea.

Translator: lhoussain Simour