Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations 18th of August 2015
Case name: 2015_08_18-WM44
Situation: Vessel intercepted by the Moroccan Navy
Status of WTM Investigations: Concluded
Place of Incidents: Western Mediterranean Sea, Morocco

Summary of the Cases: On the 18th of August 2015, our shift team received a call from a person who informed us about a vessel in distress in the Western Mediterranean Sea. He told us that his relative was amongst a group of 9-10 travellers, including one woman and one child, who had left Morocco in the night. When we called the group they told us that they could see the Spanish coast already. However, due to loud winds it was difficult to fully understand them. Shortly afterwards the travellers informed us that they had already been intercepted by the Moroccan Navy and were in the process of being returned to Morocco. They also reported that the Moroccan authorities had beaten some of them with batons. Later on we were able to re-establish contact with one of the travellers. He was in prison in Tangier and told us that the authorities refused to release them. One of our Alarm Phone members went to the police station and then learned that the group had been released in the meantime.