Thirty Moroccan customs officers will be trained by the United States in preventing the smuggling of dangerous chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials. This training is part of the strategic partnership between Morocco and the United States.
Focused on the security aspect with this training provided by 4 American specialists including a nuclear chemist and a biologist, under the US Department of Energy, will allow 30 Moroccan customs officers to recognize all aspects related to chemical, biological, dangerous radiological and nuclear materials that can be smuggled.
The stated objective is to enable Morocco to better identify these hazardous materials and prevent them from entering Moroccan soil. The training takes place at the Benslimane Customs Training Institute, according to the US Embassy in Rabat.
“A state-of-the-art facility that opened in early 2020 and has risen into a regional customs training center for all of Africa,” the same source said.
This training comes in the wake of a regional meeting on cooperation in the fight against nuclear proliferation and weapons of mass destruction held in January 2021.
These activities fall within the framework of the Morocco-United States Working Group on Security Issues and are part of the strategic dialogue between the two countries.
“The U.S. and Moroccan governments continue to work together to improve training programs at the center, as part of the broader U.S.-Morocco security partnership. The training was funded by the US Department of State’s Export Control and Border Security Program,” the US Embassy in Morocco said.
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