Morocco Security and Crime Explained 2026

MOROCCO · SECURITY

Official figures show stable crime and falling violent crime in Morocco, but terrorism plots, protests and a disputed border shape the risk. This guide maps the institutions, the numbers and the places that matter as of October 2026.

Morocco security in October 2026 rests on a large police and intelligence apparatus, a royal army and a stable statistical record. Washington rates the kingdom Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of terrorism.

For a US visitor or investor, the city, the season and the news cycle matter more than the national rating. This guide draws on police statistics, US and UK government advice, UN texts and Moroccan official statements.

Daily coverage is in the Rio Times Morocco section, with background in the Morocco politics guide and the Morocco geopolitics explainer. Newcomers can read the Marrakech city guide and the Casablanca city guide before they travel.

How Morocco Security Is Organised

The DGSN, short for the General Directorate of National Security, is Morocco’s national police. Its director general, Abdellatif Hammouchi, also heads the DGST, the domestic intelligence service.

On Wednesday, 14 October 2026, Hammouchi signed an agreement with the National Museums Foundation, covering police escorts for archaeological items. Le360 named him as director general of national security and territorial surveillance.

The BCIJ, the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, is the judicial police arm of the DGST and announces terrorism arrests. The Gendarmerie Royale is a military police force, and the UK lists 177 as its emergency number.

The Royal Armed Forces answer to King Mohammed VI, who is their Supreme Chief and Chief of General Staff. General Mohammed Berrid is Inspector General and commands the Southern Zone, Hespress said on Tuesday, 6 October 2026.

Abdelouafi Laftit, interior minister in the outgoing government, was last named in that post by Hespress on Thursday, 9 July 2026. The ministry published the final results of the 23 September 2026 legislative elections on Friday, 25 September 2026.

King Mohammed VI named Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri Head of Government on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. She coordinates the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), the largest party in the new House of Representatives with 97 of 395 seats.

On Monday, 12 October 2026, the PAM, Istiqlal, USFP and PPS announced a majority under El Mansouri, without the RNI. Istiqlal is conservative, the USFP socialist, the PPS left-wing, and the RNI (National Rally of Independents) led the outgoing government.

A Royal Office statement on Wednesday, 14 October 2026 shows she is still forming her cabinet. Until it is named, who will hold the interior portfolio remains unknown.

What Official Crime Figures Show

The DGSN handled 779,008 criminal cases in 2025, a stable total, in an annual report released on Wednesday, 17 December 2025. Violent crime fell 10% to 43,869 cases, about 6% of the total.

Robbery under threat fell 24%, robbery with violence fell 6%, and burglary with aggravating circumstances fell about 12%. Police arrested 25,421 people in violent crime cases, including 10,036 who were wanted under national warrants.

The DGSN put its clearance rate for apparent crimes at 95%, its own measure of cases solved. No independent victimisation survey was found for this guide.

Drug cases numbered 106,117 and led to 134,126 arrests, including 378 foreigners. Seizures included 170.8 tonnes of cannabis resin, 1.7 tonnes of cocaine and about 1.6 million psychotropic tablets.

Police arrested 1,737 people in operations against organised criminal networks. Cases involving the synthetic drug known as boufa fell 33%, with 5.6 kg seized.

The public summary gives national totals only, with no murder count and no breakdown by city. Four Moroccan outlets published the same headline figures, but the full DGSN report could not be opened.

Tourist Areas, Petty Crime and Scams

The US State Department, on a page updated 4 June 2025, calls crime a serious concern in major cities and tourist areas. It names pickpocketing, purse-snatching and harassment of women, and says knife attacks have occurred and romance scams are common.

UK advice, updated on 19 August 2026, says petty crime is common in medinas and on beaches. It lists drive-by motorcycle theft of visible jewellery and handbags and warns that fake official guides often harass tourists.

The US advises petit taxis at night and says rideshare riders have reported harassment and violence by taxi drivers. The UK says unlicensed ride-share cars may be uninsured, so passengers should agree a fare or check the meter.

The Ministry of Tourism announced 19.8 million arrivals in 2025 and receipts of 124 billion dirhams (about US$12.6 billion) through November. Conversions in this guide use 9.83 dirhams per US$ on 15 October 2026.

Terrorism Threat and the Cells Dismantled

Washington last issued its Level 2 advisory on Monday, 21 April 2025, and names terrorism as the reason. It says attackers may strike with little or no warning at tourist locations, transport hubs, markets, shopping malls and local government facilities.

UK advice says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Morocco, including in places visited by foreign nationals. Outside Western Sahara, neither the US nor the UK names a Moroccan city as a no-go area.

BCIJ announcements in 2025 and 2026 include three cases that show the pattern. Each announcement comes from the BCIJ alone, and suspects are presumed innocent until a court rules.

• Wednesday, 2 July 2025: four suspects aged 20 to 27 were held in a cell active between Tétouan and Chefchaouen that pledged allegiance to Islamic State and ran field tests aimed at making homemade devices.
• Wednesday, 25 March 2026: two suspects were arrested in Tangier and a suspected leader in Majorca, in a joint operation with Spanish police.
• Monday, 6 July 2026: ten people were held in seven cities, including Agadir, Casablanca and Safi, in a cell with alleged Islamic State links in the Sahel.

The BCIJ said the July 2026 cell was at an advanced stage, with a modified off-road vehicle found near Agadir. In its March 2026 statement, the BCIJ said Morocco and Spain have dismantled more than 30 cells together since 2014.

The 2025 GenZ212 Protests and Policing

GenZ212, a leaderless youth movement organised mainly on Discord, began street protests on Saturday, 27 September 2025. It demanded reforms in education, health, jobs and the fight against corruption.

On Wednesday, 1 October 2025, more than 200 people attacked a Royal Gendarmerie post at Lqliaa near Agadir, the local prosecutor said. Gendarmes fired warning shots, then live rounds, the prosecutor said; three people died, eight gendarmes were injured and an investigation began.

On Thursday, 2 October 2025, the Interior Ministry said 354 people were injured nationwide the night before, 326 of them security personnel. It said about 70% of those involved were minors and that gendarmes at Lqliaa acted in self-defence.

On Tuesday, 28 October 2025, a Public Prosecution official said 2,480 people had been referred to prosecutors, including 1,473 held in custody. More than 3,300 others were released after identity checks, and sentences ranged from one to 15 years.

In June 2026 a Casablanca court sentenced six minors to six months each for blocking an urban highway during the protests. Morocco World News said 18 adults in the same case received sentences of up to ten months the previous week.

The Ceuta Border Surge of July 2026

On Thursday, 30 July 2026, thousands of Moroccans and foreigners, including children, tried to enter Spain’s Ceuta enclave near Fnideq. Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH) found attempts rose from June, with a peak on 30 and 31 July 2026.

On Sunday, 2 August 2026, Morocco’s Interior Ministry put the crowd at about 40,000 and recorded 11 deaths, mostly drownings. It said the surge was not spontaneous and blamed misinformation, trafficking networks and a misreading of a Spanish court ruling.

Spanish sources estimated about 50,000 entries, an unofficial figure, and Spain’s Government Delegation in Ceuta counted 72 deaths. Ceuta’s regional government announced more than 80 deaths.

By 6 August 2026 the CNDH reported, from Moroccan sources, 14 deaths on the Moroccan side and 136 injured civilians. It said 87 security personnel were treated, and 100 people were arrested, including 11 minors; 69 of those arrested face prosecution.

The ministry and the CNDH both blame online rumours that wrongly said a Spanish court ruling of 8 July 2026 barred returns. Five main online groups were closed on 30 July 2026, and Moroccan authorities restricted travel toward the north, the CNDH said.

Western Sahara and the Algerian Border

Western Sahara is a disputed territory, and the Berm is a militarised boundary running through it. Morocco controls the west, and the Polisario Front, which seeks an independent Sahrawi state, holds land to the east.

UN Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted in October 2025, took Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the basis for talks. The vote was 11 to none with three abstentions, and the MINURSO mission was extended to 31 October 2026.

China, Pakistan and Russia abstained, while Algeria did not take part in the vote. Morocco World News said the Council would hold closed consultations on Thursday, 8 October 2026, with a renewal vote expected later.

UK advice, last updated on 29 June 2026, advises against all travel within 40 km north and west of the Berm. It also advises against travel to areas south and east of the Berm, and the US warns of unexploded mines.

The land and sea borders with Algeria are closed and closely patrolled, the UK says, and crossing without authorisation is illegal. UK advice tells boat and jet-ski users to stay in Moroccan waters, as those entering Algerian waters are likely to be intercepted.

The Algeria Morocco rivalry explainer covers the dispute behind the closed border. The Morocco neighbours guide covers wider regional ties.

AFCON 2025 and the 2030 World Cup Security Test

Morocco hosted the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from Sunday, 21 December 2025 to Sunday, 18 January 2026, in six cities. Nine judicial offices operated inside stadiums in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Fes and Tangier.

A joint statement by the Justice Ministry, prosecutors and the DGSN counted 529 security interventions during the tournament. Of the 529, 307 were identity checks; 202 people faced stadium judicial offices, and 396 were held over suspected illegal ticket resale.

Senegal won the final 1-0 after extra time on Sunday, 18 January 2026, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Senegal’s players briefly left the pitch to protest a late Morocco penalty, and some fans tried to enter it.

On Tuesday, 17 March 2026, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruled that Senegal lost by forfeit, awarding Morocco a 3-0 win. Senegal’s federation appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), asking for the decision to be annulled.

CAS set a hearing for Thursday, 8 October 2026. No ruling was public by 16 October 2026, so the dispute over the title remains open.

Courts sentenced 18 Senegalese fans to between three months and one year in prison in February 2026. King Mohammed VI pardoned the convicted fans on Saturday, 23 May 2026, on humanitarian grounds ahead of Eid al-Adha.

FIFA appointed Morocco, Portugal and Spain as 2030 World Cup hosts at its congress on Wednesday, 11 December 2024. The African Police Cooperation Centre in Salé opened on Thursday, 18 December 2025, with liaison officers from 23 competing countries, Hespress said.

Interpol held its 93rd General Assembly in Marrakech from 24 to 27 November 2025, with more than 800 delegates from 179 countries. The police chiefs of Morocco, Spain and Germany discussed 2030 World Cup security in Madrid on Wednesday, 29 January 2025.

Hotspots and Safer Areas by City

Outside Western Sahara, neither advisory names a city as a no-go area, so risk depends on place and activity. The examples below come from official statements, police announcements and advisory text.

• Marrakech: crowded medinas, souks and Jemaa el-Fnaa square are where UK advice flags bag-snatching and fake guides; Interpol held its 2025 assembly in the city.
• Casablanca: Morocco’s largest city hosts the US Consulate General, which handles all US citizen services, and was one of seven cities in the July 2026 BCIJ arrests.
• Tangier: a northern port city where two suspects were arrested in March 2026; the CNDH said people were told to reach Tangier before heading for Ceuta in July 2026.
• Fes: the old medina draws the same warnings about fake guides and bag-snatching, and the city hosted AFCON matches with a stadium judicial office.
• The north and the Rif: Tétouan and Chefchaouen saw a cell arrest in July 2025, while Fnideq was the centre of the July 2026 crossing attempts.
• Agadir and the south: three people died at Lqliaa near Agadir on 1 October 2025, and the July 2026 BCIJ arrests included Agadir, Taroudant and Safi.

Visitors can plan with the What to Do in Marrakech in October 2026 guide, which lists events in the city. The Rabat city guide covers the capital, where the AFCON final took place.

Practical Safety Advice and Emergency Numbers

Police can be reached on 19 from a landline or 190 from a mobile, and the Gendarmerie Royale on 177. The US page says to dial 15 for emergency services, and the UK page gives 150 for ambulance and fire.

The US Consulate General in Casablanca handles US citizen services on +212-5226-42000, with an after-hours emergency line at +212-537-63-72-00. The US Embassy in Rabat does not offer consular services.

Medical care is adequate mainly in Rabat and Casablanca, the US says, and care outside major cities falls far below US standards. It strongly recommends insurance that covers medical evacuation.

The US and UK advisories converge on a short list of habits. These are the main ones for a first visit:

• Use petit taxis at night, avoid unlicensed ride-share cars, and agree a fare or insist on the meter.
• Keep bags and phones out of sight in medinas and on beaches, and avoid displaying jewellery.
• Check for an official badge before hiring a guide in a medina, and refuse unsolicited offers.
• Avoid protests, crowds and football stadiums on match days.
• Be wary of online romances and marriage proposals, which both governments link to fraud.
• Avoid photographing palaces, government buildings or diplomatic missions, which can cause problems.
• Buy travel insurance with medical evacuation and enrol in the State Department’s STEP programme.

What It Means for US Readers

For travellers, Morocco is a Level 2 destination whose main official concerns are terrorism, petty crime and scams, not closed cities. The practical risks are pickpockets, fake guides and taxi disputes, so the habits above matter more than any single warning.

For investors, security shapes tourism, which brought 19.8 million arrivals in 2025, and the 2030 World Cup build-out. The US-Morocco free trade agreement has been in force since 1 January 2006, so stability in Rabat matters to US firms.

For policy readers, counter-terrorism cooperation with Spain and the Sahel link in the July 2026 BCIJ case are the points to follow. The Western Sahara vote at the UN before 31 October 2026 will set the frame for border risk.

Readers who want the wider picture can turn to the Morocco power structure explainer and the Morocco foreign players guide. The Morocco history explainer gives background, and the expat safety guide focuses on road risks.

What Prediction Markets Say

Polymarket’s market “Aziz Akhannouch out as Morocco Prime Minister by December 31, 2026?” shows Yes at 96%. That price was read on 16 October, 11:02 a.m. ET, and about US$173,000 has traded in total.

The market pays Yes if Akhannouch ceases to be prime minister even briefly before the deadline; an announced removal counts at once. Its rules name official information from Akhannouch and Morocco’s government as the resolution source, with credible reporting as a fallback.

Akhannouch led the outgoing government, and El Mansouri, named Head of Government on 29 September 2026, is still forming her cabinet. The market was still open on 16 October 2026, and this guide takes no view on how it will resolve.

Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.

What Is Not Known

The full DGSN report for 2025 could not be opened, so crime figures rest on four Moroccan outlets that agree. The public summary has no murder count and no breakdown by city.

No 2026 source confirmed the current commander of the Gendarmerie Royale, so this guide does not name him. Police and gendarmerie headcounts, and the number of officers planned for the 2030 World Cup, have not been published.

Whether Laftit keeps the Interior Ministry depends on the cabinet, which the Royal Office has not yet announced. The Ceuta death toll remains disputed, and no official source confirms analysts’ claims that border controls were relaxed.

No findings have been published from the Lqliaa investigation, and no official total exists for people still jailed after the GenZ212 trials. The MINURSO renewal vote and its terms had not been announced when this guide was written.

The CAS ruling on the AFCON 2025 final had not been published by 16 October 2026. Its timing and outcome are not known.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Morocco safe for American tourists?

The US rates Morocco Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of terrorism, and its advisory lists no do-not-travel areas. Petty crime and scams in medinas and tourist areas are the most common problems.

Is there a terrorism threat in Morocco?

Yes, the US and UK both say attacks are possible, and the BCIJ announced a ten-person cell arrest on 6 July 2026. Suspects are presumed innocent until a court rules, and the BCIJ is the only source for these announcements.

What are the emergency numbers in Morocco?

Dial 19 from a landline or 190 from a mobile for police, and 177 for the Gendarmerie Royale. The US page says to dial 15 for emergency services, while the UK page lists 150 for ambulance and fire.

Is crime in Morocco rising or falling?

Police say violent crime fell 10% in 2025 to 43,869 cases, within a stable total of 779,008 cases. These are police figures, and no independent survey was found.

Is it safe to travel to Western Sahara?

The UK advises against all travel south and east of the Berm, and within 40 km north and west of it. The US warns of unexploded mines and border tensions.

Who runs security policy in Morocco?

The King commands the armed forces, and Abdellatif Hammouchi leads both the DGSN police and the DGST intelligence service. Abdelouafi Laftit, last named interior minister in July 2026, belongs to the outgoing government; no cabinet was named by 16 October 2026.

Sources: US State Department, Morocco Travel Advisory (Level 2, 21 April 2025); US State Department, Morocco country information (updated 4 June 2025); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Morocco travel advice (updated 19 August 2026); FCDO, Morocco safety and security; FCDO, Morocco regional risks; FCDO, Morocco getting help; FCDO, Western Sahara travel advice (updated 29 June 2026); UN Security Council press release SC/16208, Resolution 2797 (2025); FIFA, Extraordinary Congress appoints 2030 and 2034 hosts (11 December 2024); Moroccan government portal, King appoints El Mansouri (29 September 2026); Boursenews, PAM, Istiqlal, USFP and PPS announce an alliance (12 October 2026); Moroccan government portal, Royal Office statement (14 October 2026); National Human Rights Council (CNDH), preliminary conclusions on the Ceuta and Melilla crossings (August 2026); Le360, Interior Ministry statement on Ceuta and Melilla (2 August 2026); US Trade Representative, Morocco free trade agreement; Hespress, DGSN 2025 annual figures (17 December 2025); Le360, DGSN 2025 results (18 December 2025); TelQuel, what to know about the DGSN 2025 results (18 December 2025); Médias24, DGSN 2025 results (17 December 2025); Le360, DGSN and National Museums Foundation (14 October 2026); Hespress, final legislative results (25 September 2026); Hespress, Laftit at Kenitra ceremony (9 July 2026); Hespress, General Berrid receives the UAE chief of staff (6 October 2026); INTERPOL, 93rd General Assembly in Marrakech (24 to 27 November 2025); Hespress, BCIJ cell between Tétouan and Chefchaouen (2 July 2025); Le7tv, BCIJ communique on the Morocco-Spain cell (25 March 2026); Médias24, BCIJ foils advanced attack plan (6 July 2026); Le Brief, BCIJ dismantles Daesh-linked cell (6 July 2026); Hespress English, Agadir prosecutor on Lqliaa (2 October 2025); Morocco World News, Interior Ministry on Lqliaa (2 October 2025); Hespress, Interior Ministry on the 1 October 2025 unrest (2 October 2025); Hespress, Public Prosecution on the protest trials (28 October 2025); The New Arab, GenZ 212 demands (29 September 2025); Morocco World News, public prosecution figures on GenZ212 (29 October 2025); Morocco World News, Casablanca court sentences six minors (20 June 2026); Morocco World News, Security Council and MINURSO (2 October 2026); Diario Libre, what is known about the Ceuta entry (31 July 2026); El Debate, Ceuta figures (4 August 2026); Médias24, AFCON 2025 security figures (5 March 2026); allAfrica, Senegal win the AFCON final (19 January 2026); Hespress, Senegalese fans detained after the final; TelQuel, 18 Senegalese fans sentenced (20 February 2026); Hespress, royal pardon for Senegalese fans (23 May 2026); Le360 English, CAS hearing on the AFCON 2025 final (24 July 2026); eNCA, CAS sets date for Senegal appeal (24 July 2026); Hespress, sentences for Senegalese fans (February 2026); Hespress, AFCON 2025 security and judicial figures (2 March 2026); Hespress, African Police Cooperation Centre in Salé (18 December 2025); Hespress English, Moroccan, Spanish and German police chiefs in Madrid (29 January 2025); Le Matin, AFCON 2025 and the 2030 World Cup (27 December 2025); Hespress English, Ministry of Tourism 2025 arrivals (5 January 2026) (all accessed 16 October 2026).