Financial regulators in Morocco and Spain have launched an investigation into an alleged international money laundering network.
The probe began after compliance officers at three major casinos in Marrakech and Agadir flagged a series of highly irregular transactions to Morocco’s National Financial Intelligence Authority (ANRF).
According to local investigative sources, both Moroccan and foreign gamblers are suspected of bringing large sums of undeclared cash into the casinos, passing the funds off as poker winnings, and subsequently depositing the money into international bank accounts.
Forensic investigators are currently cross-referencing game records and tracing transfers, purchases and commercial transactions to verify if the reported winnings match actual outcomes. The inquiry is specifically examining whether the gamblers exploited technical vulnerabilities in the casino gaming systems or if they colluded with casino staff who possessed specialised knowledge of internal operations.
The scope of the investigation expanded significantly following a parallel intelligence handover from Spanish financial watchdogs. Authorities in Madrid had independently tracked a sudden spike in suspicious cash flows targeting casinos in southern Spain, involving Moroccan tourists and European residents of Moroccan origin.
To successfully transfer the funds, they allegedly used informal currency networks operating near airports and manual exchange bureaus. Intermediaries split massive fortunes into smaller, fractional amounts, a tactic known as “smurfing“, so as to slip past customs agents undetected.
Once inside Spain, the funds were cycled through fictitious wins and losses at local casinos to establish a false layer of legitimacy before entering the European banking system.
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A preliminary database search revealed that two key individuals under review in Morocco were already subject to active financial monitoring watchlists in Spain and the European Union for illegal gambling and smuggling.
In response to the findings, Morocco’s Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes, alongside the Foreign Exchange Office, has enacted emergency protocols at all major ports and airports. Frontline customs officers have received directives to enforce strict inspections on all incoming and outgoing currency declarations.
With tourist traffic between North Africa and southern Spanish coastal destinations expected to surge over the coming weeks, authorities confirm that these heightened border controls will remain in place indefinitely as they work to dismantle the operation.
