During our investigation, the questions we posed to Unimer on Friday went unanswered. However, 24 hours after revealing the involvement of one of the group's factories in a large drug trafficking operation, a press release was issued in an attempt to clarify the situation ahead of the opening of the Casablanca Stock Exchange. On Friday, after revealing the name of the company owning the factory on the road to Jorf El Youdi in Safi, which was raided by police in a drug-trafficking case, our questions to Unimer remained unanswered. On Saturday evening, 24 hours after our article's publication, Morocco's leading seafood group issued a statement in an attempt at «damage control» ahead of the opening of the Casablanca Stock Exchange, where the company has been listed since 2001. «Following the seizure by customs at the Port of Casablanca of a shipment of chira (3.6 tons) hidden in a container of fishmeal shipped by the company Unimer Proteins, a subsidiary of the Unimer Group, an investigation is currently being conducted by the competent authorities to determine the circumstances related to this seizure and the individuals involved in this case», announced the company on Saturday evening. Infographic with Unimer's main clients worldwide / Unimer In an effort to downplay the severity of this drug trafficking case, the subsidiary of the Sanam holding, owned by the Alj family, emphasized the significant volume of containers and trucks it ships internationally. «The Unimer Group, a major player in the Moroccan fishery sector, has been exporting for several decades more than 1,500 containers and trucks per year via its 16 industrial subsidiaries, notably to its historic international partners. These exports are carried out in strict compliance with regulatory procedures and have never been a subject of such incident», stated Unimer. Fishmeal shipments conducive to drug trafficking Products such as fishmeal (flour, powder, packaged or bulk granules) are particularly conducive to drug trafficking. The large volumes exported annually can be exploited by international networks to smuggle substantial shipments without relying on riskier clandestine methods (e.g., zodiac boats or small planes between Morocco and Spain). Fishmeal / Illustration image - DR In this specific case involving Unimer, the importer based in Belgium was set to receive 20 tons of fishmeal, including 3.6 tons of chira (cannabis). The value of one ton of chira is roughly equivalent to 1,000 tons of fishmeal. While investigators are scrutinizing the Belgian importer, they are also examining whether Unimer or its staff were complicit in the trafficking or negligent in supervising standard procedures. The factory director and head of production have already been questioned. To demonstrate full cooperation, Unimer Proteins announced it is «at the disposal of the competent authorities and reserves the right to prosecute any person involved in this case». Unimer proteins This subsidiary of the Unimer Group specializes in producing fishmeal and fish oil. Made from pressed, dried, and ground fish, these processed products transform surplus fish from human consumption into valuable materials. The subsidiary collects non-usable fish waste, purchased for under 3 dirhams per kilogram, and revalorizes it through specific treatments. Its production caters to both local and international markets.
