Marrakech – In a significant law enforcement operation, Moroccan police apprehended a 34-year-old French citizen in Tetouan on Monday. This decisive action was taken based on detailed intelligence provided by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST). Subsequent checks through Interpol’s database revealed that the individual was the subject of a Red Notice, requested by the National Central Bureau in Paris, due to his involvement in a violent assault against a woman in France that occurred in 2025. As a result of this development, the suspect is now facing extradition proceedings under the guidance of the competent public prosecutor’s office. The National Central Bureau in Rabat, which operates under Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), promptly informed its French counterparts about the arrest, highlighting the collaborative efforts in international law enforcement.
Earlier last week, authorities in Marrakech had also detained a 38-year-old French national of Senegalese descent, who was wanted by Dutch judicial authorities. This arrest followed a Red Notice from The Hague’s National Central Bureau, linking the individual to serious charges including kidnapping and violence in the Dutch city of Zeist. Like the previous suspect, he too was placed under extradition proceedings, showcasing Morocco's commitment to cooperating with international law enforcement agencies.
In a separate operation on the same day, Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) announced the successful dismantling of a cell associated with the Sahel faction of ISIS, which was reportedly in the advanced stages of planning attacks. This crackdown resulted in the arrest of ten suspects across several cities, including Agadir, Taroudant, Casablanca, El Hajeb, Tetouan, Fquih Ben Salah, and Safi. Among those apprehended were a former terrorism convict and a minor. During searches of the suspects' residences, authorities confiscated bladed weapons, military uniforms, digital devices, and extremist materials linked to the construction of explosive devices.
Notably, investigators uncovered a 4×4 vehicle in a warehouse in Inezgane, close to Agadir, which had been modified in an illegal workshop for potential use in a suicide attack or vehicle-ramming incident targeting high-profile locations. Additional items seized included gas cylinders, pressure cookers, welding equipment, electrical cables, and various chemical substances. Residents in the vicinity were evacuated while a specialized explosives team utilized remote-controlled robots and sensors to thoroughly inspect the vehicle.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the apprehended suspects had pledged allegiance to the ISIS leader and received direct orders from the group’s Sahel-Saharan branch, instructing them to remain within Morocco to execute attacks instead of attempting to travel to territories controlled by ISIS abroad. The adult suspects have been taken into custody, while the minor is currently under surveillance. The ongoing investigation is being conducted under the oversight of the terrorism prosecutor, reflecting the seriousness of the threat and the authorities' commitment to ensuring national security.
In response to these thwarted plots, several nations including the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, and the Arab Parliament have expressed their condemnation and solidarity with Morocco, emphasizing the importance of collective action against terrorism.
As reported by moroccoworldnews.com.
