Morocco arrests three suspected Daesh members
Members of the Special Forces of the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), part of the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), arrested three people suspected of belonging to the Daesh jihadist terrorist group.
The arrestees, aged between 18 and 39, were allegedly involved in planning and carrying out terrorist attacks aimed at undermining the nation's security and public order and have been brought before the courts for further investigation.
Members of the Moroccan security forces arrested these suspects in the cities of Fez and Fnideq and in the rural area of Oulad Ghanem in El Jadida province, the BCIJ officially reported.
The BCIJ agents carried out searches at the homes of those under investigation and seized electronic devices, bladed weapons and documents with a strong extremist content, according to the sources.
According to security sources and information reported by media outlets such as Le 360, the alleged terrorists followed the postulates of the Daesh terrorist group and had declared their allegiance to the ‘emir’ of this organisation.
They were allegedly planning terrorist actions targeting vital and sensitive installations on Moroccan territory and had instructions for the handling of explosive devices.
The three suspects were arrested as part of the investigation being carried out by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations under the supervision of the General Prosecutor for Terrorist Affairs, in order to unravel all their plans and investigate their possible links with terrorist organisations in other parts of the world.
Morocco and its fight against extremism
Morocco continues its ongoing fight against extremism and terrorism. The Moroccan kingdom has carried out many operations against elements linked to extremist terrorism on Moroccan territory and works closely with other countries to maintain security and prevent the proliferation of radical elements, especially in the area of northern Morocco and the Sahel, convulsive areas where there is an important breeding ground for the indoctrination of people in extremist and terrorist theses.
At the forefront of this fight against terrorism and for regional and international security is Abdellatif Hammouchi, head of the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) and the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), who has implemented major reforms in the Moroccan security services following principles of innovation, proactivity, cooperation, information sharing and training of national security forces, applying a particular model in terms of governance, methodology and objectives with a view to modernising the country's security system.
Abdellatif Hammouchi has also enhanced contacts with the security services of many important countries to coordinate international security through close planning and cooperation. The head of Morocco's security services has recently held contacts and meetings at the highest level with personalities such as William Burns, director of the American Intelligence Agency (CIA), Lieutenant General Abdulaziz bin Mohamed al-Howairini, head of Saudi Arabia's Security Service, Abdullah bin Mohamed al-Khulaifi, head of Qatar's Security Service, Eugenio Pereiro Blanco, Spain's Commissioner General of Information, and Frédéric Veaux, Director General of France's National Police.