Rabat – Moroccan police arrested on October 22 in Tangier a French-Algerian national on charges of involvement in international drug trafficking and forgery.
A statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) said on Saturday that police have opened a judicial investigation into the suspect’s use of false German identity documents while seeking medical care in a private clinic.
The suspect, 47, went to the clinic after sustaining injuries, DGSN said.
Preliminary investigations helped establish that the man was using falsified documentation because he was the subject of an international search notice.
With further research into the case, the Tangier police found that the suspect was also the subject of search notices from the National Judicial Police and the prefectural service of the judicial police of the city of Tetouan for his involvement in international drug trafficking cases.
“The suspect is also the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the French judicial authorities in June for international drug trafficking, money laundering, and the committing of serious physical assault,” DGSN‘s statement further explained.
Believed to have sustained his injuries in a fight, the man is now under necessary medical care in a hospital, pending more detailed investigations to establish the full extent of his criminal activities and associations.
At the moment of writing, drug trafficking and money laundering are the two main charges the man has been associated with.
According to the DGSN, further investigation into the case will also seek to identify and arrest all people involved in the altercation believed to have caused the suspect’s injuries.
The goal of such a move would be to shed light on the origins of the fight by determining whether it had any connections to the man’s criminal activities.
Morocco’s security approach is based on co-operative efforts in combating cross-border crime. The country frequently shares essential data with its international partners, helping them either arrest potential suspects involved in different crimes or handing international authorities people subject to international arrest warrants.
Morocco has been a member of Interpol since 1957. Interpol also has an office in Rabat.
