More than seventy passports of Moroccan citizens who had applied for a visa for the Netherlands, last week in Morocco stolen during a secure transport through a courier company. The secret services of the country "in the highest state of alert," reported the Moroccan newspaper Assabah (De Morgen) Wednesday. The departments concerned that the documents are in the hands of criminals or terrorists.
The visas, which were provided by the Dutch Honorary Consulate in Rabat, were heading to Nador in the Rif in northeastern Morocco. The transport was arranged by a specialized transport company. Were also secret documents, which have remained untouched in the same shipment.
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry confirmed the missing passports. It is about 71 documents, 41 of which were provided with a valid visa. The other applications were rejected. The visa can be traveled freely throughout the Schengen area. On fears of the Moroccan services that passports could be used for criminal or terrorist crimes would not speculate Ministry. "The Moroccan authorities, the visa office in Nador and Foreign Affairs research," the spokesman said.
Big scale
Passports get lost or often, that "inherent in the process in which documents have to be sent worldwide. But on such a large scale as now, in one fell swoop 70 documents disappear, it is almost not according to the spokesman. This usually involves one or more passports. So far four reports of missing this year there are received by the Ministry.
Passports, visas names and numbers are now registered internationally. They are included in the EU-Vis system covering the entire Schengen area. Via Interpol sharing the information worldwide. According to the Moroccan authorities and the Dutch Royal Military Police has not yet traveled on passports.
The victim Moroccans are informed by the visa office in Nador of the theft. Who has not been called, need according to Foreign Affairs to worry. The Dutch Embassy in Rabat intercedes for those affected by the Moroccan authorities to issue new passports as soon as possible. There Department has no influence on.
Free new visa
Netherlands has arranged that the visa office will bear the costs and will provide free new visas. Furthermore, the Ministry of the companies involved will retrace the procedures and "where necessary, sharpen.
According to the Moroccan newspaper Assabah arrested and interrogated sixteen suspects, all employees of the transport company. The shipment passports was on August 9 picked up by the courier company in Rabat and had to arrive a day later in Nador.
By Editorial Volkskrant: Photo: Reuters
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