A third suspect has been identified but is still on the run.
Rabat – Violent resistance forced a Moroccan police inspector to draw his service weapon, without using it, to arrest two alleged rapists on Sunday.
The arrest operation took place in Tiflet, approximately 60 kilometers east of Rabat.
Security services had received a notification that three suspects allegedly kidnapped, imprisoned, and attempted to rape a young woman, Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) stated.
Security services apprehended two of the suspects in the apartment where they held the victim captive.
According to DGSN, the two suspects violently resisted arrest, forcing a police inspector to draw his weapon.
Under the threat of being shot, the alleged rapists stopped resisting, Moroccan security services said.
The two suspects will remain in custody pending investigations. Meanwhile, a search operation is still ongoing to apprehend the third suspect, whom security services have already identified, DGSN concluded.
The suspects, aged between 24 and 32, have criminal records and will face charges for kidnap and attempted rape.
According to the Moroccan penal code, the alleged rapists could face between five and 10 years in prison for kidnapping the victim, in addition to a similar prison sentence for the rape charges.
Increasing need to use weapons
In recent months, incidents where police officers need to draw or use their weapons to arrest suspects became noticeably more frequent.
On May 5, a police chief inspector used his service weapon against six individuals in Kenitra. The suspects carried knives and violated Morocco’s state of emergency.
One week later, on May 12, a police inspector in Ouarzazate fired a warning shot to stop a driver breaking through a security checkpoint. The driver inflicted damage to three police vehicles and almost ran over security officers before the bullet was fired.
Later in May, police officers in Meknes used their service weapons in two separate incidents on the same day. The first incident involved a 19-year-old man, allegedly under the influence of drugs, who carried a weapon and threatened citizens in the street.
Meanwhile, the second incident involved a 30-year-old individual who allegedly stole a vehicle and refused to comply with orders, endangering the lives of security officers and citizens.
