Marruecos detiene a un presunto yihadista en coordinación con Estados Unidos
A suspected Daesh member, suspected of being involved in a "terrorist project" to attack in Morocco, was arrested Thursday by Moroccan security forces in collaboration with US intelligence, according to a press release from the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ).
The 29-year-old man was arrested in Casablanca by agents of the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), the official note said. He was taken into police custody "for his alleged involvement in the preparation of a terrorist project aimed at seriously undermining public order", the BCIJ specified.
According to the initial findings of the investigation, the suspect made "reconnaissance visits to identify certain security checkpoints with a view to attacking them and using his service weapons in terrorist operations", as indicated in the statement and reported by media outlets such as the AFP agency.
The suspect was linked to Daesh and, according to the statement of the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation, in charge of the fight against terrorism in the Kingdom, was arrested "for his alleged involvement in the preparation of a terrorist action to seriously undermine public order".
According to the BCIJ statement, the alleged terrorist also intended to join the ranks of Daesh in conflict zones such as Syria and Iraq and in sub-Saharan African countries.
The BCIJ communiqué specifies that the arrest of this man is the result of "excellent" cooperation between the intelligence services of Morocco and the United States, which led to the identification of the suspect.
The man is being held in custody and is being investigated for possible links with terrorist organisations inside and outside the North African country, as well as his possible history of jihadist terrorist activity.
Thanks to the work of the Moroccan security services, the Alawi kingdom has prevented several terrorist attacks. Since 2002, the Moroccan police have dismantled more than 2,000 terrorist cells and arrested more than 3,500 people in terrorism-related cases.
This is a further demonstration of the good work Morocco is doing in the fight against terrorism. The Kingdom plays an important role in the fight against terrorism thanks to the Moroccan government's strategy based on security measures underpinned by prompt, proactive and vigilant approaches aimed at preventing potential attacks before they occur. In addition, intense judicial activity is aimed at prosecuting and trying suspected elements if and when sufficient evidence is found to link them to terrorist groups or activities. On the other hand, Morocco also implements social planning aimed at detecting radical elements, based on national policies at the religious and social level to minimise the risk of the emergence of extremist elements.
Following this latest arrest, it is also worth noting the long-standing close cooperation between Morocco and the United States on security and counter-terrorism. In fact, a few days ago, a meeting was held in Rabat between Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director General of Homeland Security and Territorial Surveillance of Morocco (DGSN), and Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence of the United States, in which security and the fight against terrorism were the main topics discussed.
The high-level meeting held in the Rabat capital addressed regional security issues, such as fundamentalist terrorist threats and the activity of groups linked to organised crime, as indicated in an official communiqué distributed by the DGSN. Abdellatif Hammouchi and Avril Haines discussed ways to improve security cooperation at "the level of the current strategic cooperation between the two countries," the statement said.
Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra
