Rabat – On Thursday in Casablanca, Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) arrested a 29-year-old man with links to ISIS. He is suspected of planning terror attacks to undermine the country’s security.
A statement from the BCIJ said that the arrest followed information from the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) on the suspect.
The arrest comes as part of the US-Morocco security cooperation. According to BCIJ, cooperation between DGST and US Intelligence services resulted in the identification of the suspect and detected his terrorist project.
Preliminary information shows that the ISIS suspect was looking for ways to join terrorist organizations active in sub-Saharan Africa and in the Syrian-Iraqi conflict zones.
Security services seized equipment and information devices, consisting of digital support, including mobile phones, and two laptop computers, among others. All of the seized material are being analyzed by experts, BCIJ said.
The suspect is in custody for further investigations to determine the circumstances of the case.
BCIJ recalled that today’s security operation confirms the “importance and effectiveness of proactive operations”. This cooperation helps to neutralize the danger of terrorist threats more effectively.
The statement commended security cooperation between Morocco’s security services and the US.
Morocco and the US put security cooperation as a priority. The two countries frequently expressed determination to boost cooperation in the field of security amid security threats in the region, including the Sahel.
Earlier in September, the chief of Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGST-DGSN), Abdellatif Hammouchi, met American Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines in Rabat to discuss security cooperation.
The two security officials emphasized the need to improve the level of the current strategic cooperation between the two countries to bring stability and security on regional and international levels. The US sees Morocco’s counterterrorism approach as comprehensive.
In 2021, Morocco’s DGST provided the US with essential data on an American soldier arrested for attempting to assist ISIS in attacking US troops.
