mark61
24-04-05, 23:18
Adultery
In the latest in our series on people's daily lives, Myriam Marzak from Morocco talks about her detective agency. I am the only woman private detective in Morocco. When I started up, people came to my office in Casablanca out of curiosity, saying: “A woman can’t do that job”. But I have taken on all sorts of cases now, anything from finding out if someone is committing adultery to locating former employees who have stolen money from banks or insurance firms.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_morocco0s_lady_detective/img/1.jpg
Malicious
I studied in Montpelier in France at one of the world's best detective schools. Then I worked in the French ministry of the interior, where I did most of my training. When I came back to Morocco to set up as a private detective two years ago, I wasn’t prepared – even though I am Moroccan – for the lengths people will go to here to ruin someone else’s life. Some can be malicious, maybe it’s because they have more time on their hands here.
Secrecy
I don’t accept every case that comes my way. If the client is after revenge, I won’t take the case on. And I won't help a man locate a woman without asking why. Once I’ve accepted a job, I work in absolute secrecy.
Some clients aren’t very impressed with my office because I don’t have a secretary, but you can’t be too careful - I can’t have someone typing up my client's notes and then selling the information.
Not a film
People think being a detective is glamorous, but in fact it’s a lot of long, hard work. There is a lot of planning involved, it’s not like in the movies. When I’m tracking someone, for example, I sometimes need to change transport, so I’ll need to ensure I have a bicycle waiting if I can’t go by car.
Know your man
Some 80% of detective school in France was about psychology - learning to read the body language and understanding the mentality of the person you’re trying to catch out. I get to know my suspect so well that by the end I know they are going to turn left at the end of the street before they do. We studied different cultures, to get to know their gestures, their way of thinking. The hardest criminals I’ve tracked are the Italian Mafia, because they are so alert and so untrusting.
Undercover
Disguise is a big part of my work. I’ve worked undercover a lot. I lived and slept in the Paris Metro for three months on a job. I can’t tell you all the disguises I wear, but believe me, I can go unnoticed anywhere from a mosque to a brothel. I could follow you for a whole day and you wouldn’t know it. Recently I followed someone for two months, every day.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_morocco0s_lady_detective/img/6.jpg
Frustrating
What I find hard sometimes is when I’m investigating someone for one thing – perhaps someone has run off with his wife’s money - and then I discover he is also involved in paedophilia or child trafficking. But it’s beyond the remit of my case.
I usually contact the police but often they don’t have the time or the resources to investigate, and it’s hard to sleep at night knowing that someone is getting away with this, and I’ve got all the evidence but I can’t do anything about it.
Workaholic
Without flattering myself, I was made for this job, because I like the depth of the work. The longer I stay on a job, the more interested I get. I’ve got the patience for it. Sometimes there’s no time to eat, no time to take a break or go home when you’re tired. I am eaten up by my work.
I find every case interesting and become obsessed. Photos and text: Pascale Harter
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_morocco0s_lady_detective/img/8.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_morocco0s_lady_detective/html/1.stm
:lachu: Nou dames, carrièremogelijkheden genoeg in Marokko.
Was eigenlijk op zoek naar de mysterieuze gestenigde te Faizabad, maar dit was leuker.
In the latest in our series on people's daily lives, Myriam Marzak from Morocco talks about her detective agency. I am the only woman private detective in Morocco. When I started up, people came to my office in Casablanca out of curiosity, saying: “A woman can’t do that job”. But I have taken on all sorts of cases now, anything from finding out if someone is committing adultery to locating former employees who have stolen money from banks or insurance firms.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_morocco0s_lady_detective/img/1.jpg
Malicious
I studied in Montpelier in France at one of the world's best detective schools. Then I worked in the French ministry of the interior, where I did most of my training. When I came back to Morocco to set up as a private detective two years ago, I wasn’t prepared – even though I am Moroccan – for the lengths people will go to here to ruin someone else’s life. Some can be malicious, maybe it’s because they have more time on their hands here.
Secrecy
I don’t accept every case that comes my way. If the client is after revenge, I won’t take the case on. And I won't help a man locate a woman without asking why. Once I’ve accepted a job, I work in absolute secrecy.
Some clients aren’t very impressed with my office because I don’t have a secretary, but you can’t be too careful - I can’t have someone typing up my client's notes and then selling the information.
Not a film
People think being a detective is glamorous, but in fact it’s a lot of long, hard work. There is a lot of planning involved, it’s not like in the movies. When I’m tracking someone, for example, I sometimes need to change transport, so I’ll need to ensure I have a bicycle waiting if I can’t go by car.
Know your man
Some 80% of detective school in France was about psychology - learning to read the body language and understanding the mentality of the person you’re trying to catch out. I get to know my suspect so well that by the end I know they are going to turn left at the end of the street before they do. We studied different cultures, to get to know their gestures, their way of thinking. The hardest criminals I’ve tracked are the Italian Mafia, because they are so alert and so untrusting.
Undercover
Disguise is a big part of my work. I’ve worked undercover a lot. I lived and slept in the Paris Metro for three months on a job. I can’t tell you all the disguises I wear, but believe me, I can go unnoticed anywhere from a mosque to a brothel. I could follow you for a whole day and you wouldn’t know it. Recently I followed someone for two months, every day.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_morocco0s_lady_detective/img/6.jpg
Frustrating
What I find hard sometimes is when I’m investigating someone for one thing – perhaps someone has run off with his wife’s money - and then I discover he is also involved in paedophilia or child trafficking. But it’s beyond the remit of my case.
I usually contact the police but often they don’t have the time or the resources to investigate, and it’s hard to sleep at night knowing that someone is getting away with this, and I’ve got all the evidence but I can’t do anything about it.
Workaholic
Without flattering myself, I was made for this job, because I like the depth of the work. The longer I stay on a job, the more interested I get. I’ve got the patience for it. Sometimes there’s no time to eat, no time to take a break or go home when you’re tired. I am eaten up by my work.
I find every case interesting and become obsessed. Photos and text: Pascale Harter
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_morocco0s_lady_detective/img/8.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_morocco0s_lady_detective/html/1.stm
:lachu: Nou dames, carrièremogelijkheden genoeg in Marokko.
Was eigenlijk op zoek naar de mysterieuze gestenigde te Faizabad, maar dit was leuker.