Hommam Al Nassim 
Moroccan police referred a 23-year-old young man to the Public Prosecution in Casablanca on charges related to human trafficking, kidnapping, and demanding ransom.
The accused is suspected of being involved in an international criminal network operating in Asia that kidnaps victims under the guise of working for a Thai company.
The “Hespress” website reported that the network was detaining the victims at gunpoint, taking their passports, and forcing them to work forcibly in fraudulent electronic fraud operations. This criminal activity was revealed after several victims were freed and in-depth investigations were conducted.
The suspect was arrested in possession of two laptop computers and a mobile phone, and these devices were referred to the Institute of Science and Forensic Evidence for technical examination in search of digital evidence confirming his connection to these crimes.
According to investigations, armed groups were holding hostages on the border between Myanmar and Thailand, and demanding ransoms ranging between 60 and 80 thousand dirhams (equivalent to 6 to 8 thousand dollars) for their release.
There are reports of criminal networks operating between Morocco and East Asia, especially in Thailand and Myanmar, where these networks lure young Moroccans with fake job offers in the field of e-commerce, only to find themselves detained and forced to work in electronic fraud and piracy.
In some cases, these networks demand a ransom of $10,000 USD to release victims, but in encrypted digital currency.
The Kingdom of Morocco is among the list of the most indebted countries to the International Monetary Fund