Cybercrime and technology-enabled financial offenses accounted for a growing share of Morocco’s judicial activity in 2024, according to the annual report of the Presidency of the Public Prosecution. Authorities registered more than 500 cyber-related offenses, alongside 116 terrorism cases and 801 money-laundering investigations, highlighting the expanding role of digital tools in organized crime and extremist financing.
The report documents over 500 offenses committed through electronic and information systems during the year. These included online fraud, electronic sexual harassment, digital incitement to crime, and offenses related to harmful content such as child exploitation and the production or distribution of obscene material. Judicial authorities noted that many cases involved organized networks capable of exploiting digital infrastructure at scale, rather than isolated individual acts.
Officials linked the rise in cyber offenses to the increasing reliance on online services and electronic transactions, which has widened exposure for individuals and institutions alike and sustained the volume of digital crime cases throughout the year.
The report also highlights evolving methods used to finance terrorism. In 2024, Moroccan authorities registered 116 terrorism-related cases involving 134 suspects, with judicial proceedings initiated in 96 cases. Security services observed a shift away from traditional funding channels toward digital tools and advanced financial mechanisms, including cryptocurrencies, to support logistics and discreet financial transfers.
One documented case involved the use of cryptocurrency to finance Daesh. Authorities identified a suspect who purchased USDT via the Binance platform using a bank card, before transferring the funds to a digital wallet linked to the organization. The transaction involved 50 units of digital currency, illustrating how electronic wallets and crypto transactions are increasingly used to bypass conventional financial monitoring systems.
Financial crime figures further underscored the overlap between cyber offenses and illicit funding, with 801 money-laundering cases recorded in 2024. Many of these were linked to predicate crimes such as cyber fraud and other technology-enabled financial activities, reinforcing concerns about the misuse of digital financial instruments within broader criminal networks.
