Madar (Rabat) - Control services at Morocco's Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration have recovered MAD 730 million (73 billion centimes) in additional duties and taxes using artificial intelligence and data analysis, as part of a wide review of the declared values of imported goods, news site Hespress reported on Sunday, November 1, 2026, citing well-informed sources.
According to the same source, the operation covered dozens of importers operating mainly in Casablanca, Tangier and Agadir. Checks revealed gaps between prices in customs declarations and available commercial data on similar imports, in terms of the type of goods, purchase prices, quantities and countries of origin.
The systems process large volumes of data on commercial invoices, customs declarations and supply sources, and steer inspections towards declarations showing high-risk indicators instead of relying on traditional file-by-file audits.
The review examined original invoices, shipping documents, proof of payment and bank transfers linked to the imports concerned, and the importers were asked to explain their prices and the terms of their deals with foreign suppliers. The checks were carried out after customs clearance and did not hold up goods at border posts or ports.
The same sources stressed that the price gaps are not definitive proof of customs fraud, since import prices can vary with contract terms, quantities, quality, transport and insurance costs, and that regularisation does not necessarily mean intentional fraud was established in every case.
The checks also extended to suspected collusion between importers and foreign exporters over invoicing and declared values, and some files remain under investigation. The source did not name the importers or the goods involved.
