Rabat – Morocco recorded 529 security interventions and presented 202 people before on-site judicial offices during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Ministry of Justice, the Presidency of the Public Prosecution, and the General Directorate of National Security issued a joint statement stating that special judicial offices were set up in stadiums across six host cities, including Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Fez, and Tangier. A total of nine offices were created to deal quickly with crimes and violations linked to the tournament.
Authorities carried out 529 security interventions during the AFCON, including 307 identity checks coordinated directly with judicial services. Security checks at stadium entrances recorded 68 attempts to enter without tickets and 17 cases involving fake tickets. Police also handled 16 cases related to drug possession and use, and 20 cases involving flares. Five bladed weapons and two tear gas canisters were seized.
In addition, security services arrested 396 people suspected of illegally reselling match tickets. These arrests followed online monitoring of social media posts advertising tickets outside official channels. Investigations were carried out under the supervision of the competent public prosecution offices.
Overall, 202 people were brought before the judicial offices in 152 criminal cases. Prosecutors decided to press charges and refer 82 cases to court. A settlement fine was applied in 56 cases. Two cases were closed, while 12 were sent back to judicial police for further investigation.
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Moroccans represented 79.2% of those presented before the judicial offices, while 20.8% were foreign nationals from African and European countries. The most common offense was attempting to enter stadiums fraudulently (25.48%), followed by illegal ticket resale (10.96%) and entering the pitch (7.46%).
Authorities said the on-site judicial offices played a key role in handling cases immediately, preventing court backlogs, and ensuring fast decisions. Many minor offenses were dealt with through settlement fines.
The security plan also included the deployment of between 3,000 and 4,000 police officers per match, supported by surveillance cameras, drones, and artificial intelligence tools to monitor crowd movement and detect suspicious behavior. A new African Police Cooperation Center was also created to coordinate security efforts with participating countries and international partners.
Officials described the experience as a successful test ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.