What should I NOT buy in Morocco (fakes / illegal)?

There is a short list of things I actively warn travellers off, and the first is "antiques." Genuine Moroccan antiques may legally require an export permit, and a great deal of what is sold as antique is in fact recent reproduction sold at antique prices. Buy old objects because you love them at a price you are happy with, not on an unverifiable age story, and if a piece is genuinely old and valuable, ask the seller for proper documentation — without paperwork you risk both overpaying and trouble at the border.

The second and most important category is anything taken from protected wildlife. Steer well clear of ivory, tortoiseshell, big-cat and reptile skins, certain hard corals, and curios made from endangered species — these are illegal to trade and to import into most countries under CITES, and "it was just a souvenir" is no defence at customs. The same caution applies to many of the fossils and mineral specimens sold along the desert routes and at Erfoud and Rissani: while a legitimate fossil trade exists there, fakes are rampant and some material is dug or exported illegally, so buy only from a reputable, knowledgeable dealer.

Then there are the consumables that are simply not what they claim. As I tell everyone: cheap "argan oil" far from the Souss is usually cut or fake; big, cheap bags of "saffron" are almost always safflower; and the aphrodisiac powders, "Berber Viagra," and miracle herbal cures pressed on tourists are at best useless and occasionally unsafe. Counterfeit branded sunglasses, watches and football shirts are everywhere too — legal to wander past, but you may have them confiscated bringing them home, and the quality is throwaway.

My practical guidance is a simple rule: when in doubt, don’t. Skip anything that might be from a protected animal, anything sold as a valuable antique without paperwork, and any "bargain" version of an expensive natural product like argan or saffron, because the bargain is the tell. Buy your crafts, rugs, leather, ceramics and spices from settled, reputable sellers, keep receipts for anything of value, and check your own country’s import rules on food, plant and animal products before you fly. A clear conscience and an easy customs hall are worth more than a dubious trophy.