Casablanca - Moroccan Authorities arrested on Monday a suspected gang member after he was kidnapped in Tangier following the dismantling of a criminal network.
Casablanca – Moroccan Authorities arrested on Monday a suspected gang member after he was kidnapped in Tangier following the dismantling of a criminal network.
According to the statement of the Ministry of Interior released on November 15, the central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) conducted an search throughout the national territory. The operation followed the dismantling of a network on November 11 invloved in criminal activity in the cities of Tangier and Oujda.
In a bizarre twist, the suspect arrested in the city of Fnideq last Monday was kidnapped and his car stolen in Tangier by members of the same organization.
The statement revealed that the person arrested is “known in Belgium for his multiple criminal records relating to armed robbery, detention, international drug trafficking and car theft.”
The statement went on to say that the operation also resulted in the arrest of “a person who specializes in the forgery of documents and illegal immigration.” This person is suspected of facilitating the escape of the arrested gang member outside of the national territory.
“The search operations conducted by the Security Services enabled the confiscation of four cars, three of which have foreign registration numbers, and numerous suspicious items. These include binoculars, a remote radar detector, two electronic scales and a number of car keys and documents.”
The statement went on to add that the criminal network includes members who were previously arrested for terrorism. “One member had connections with extremists outside of Morocco and another member fought with an extremist group in Syria and Iraq.”
All the suspects arrested are under investigation of the authorities and the supervision of the public prosecutor.
Edited by Connie Guindon
