Forest Crime 33: How a Security Task Force Led by the National Brigade Took Down the Most Dangerous Drug Baron

From Mansouria to “Wazan”… The Full Story Behind the Downfall of the Leader of the “Forest 33 Massacre”!

The “Forest 33” (Trontroua) case in the suburbs of Benslimane and Mansouria saw dramatic security and on-the-ground developments, culminating in a joint security and intelligence operation led by the National Judicial Police Brigade and the National Royal Gendarmerie Brigade, in close coordination with the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance, known by its acronym “DST.”

The operation resulted in the apprehension of the main suspect (28 years old), known as the leader of the “Brothers Gang,” in one of the hamlets of the “Wanana” in the province of Ouzane, for killing two young men from Mohammedia with a firearm and settling drug trafficking disputes.

This arrest came after local youths surrounded the first-in-command’s aide and handed him over to the gendarmerie, making him the key link that cracked the code of the family-run cartel and led to the capture of his brother, who was wanted on charges of evading military service.

On the ground, the case became even more complex and horrifying after members of the Royal Gendarmerie and auxiliary forces discovered a third body in an advanced state of decomposition, along with bags containing human remains and bones, prompting the Public Prosecutor’s Office to transfer the body to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy and to investigate the hypothesis of a secret grave for the victims of the killings.

The crisis unit established by the Ministry of the Interior carried out a comprehensive security cordon around the forest and a field search using police dogs and drones, which resulted in the demolition and burning of dozens of makeshift huts, the seizure of stolen vehicles and contraband, and the referral of six detainees accused of providing logistical support to the investigating judge at the Casablanca Court of Appeal.