Rabat – Moroccan and Spanish services dismantled a ISIS affiliated terrorist cell in the Sahel, a joint operation that is part of their long-standing exceptional security collaboration.
The operation, carried out by Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) and Spain’s General Intelligence Commissariat, resulted in the arrest of nine suspects operating across Tetouan, Fnideq, Madrid, Ibiza, and Ceuta.
The cell members were allegedly involved in promoting extremist ideology, planning terrorist acts, and seeking to join ISIS factions in sub-Saharan Africa.
Preliminary data said the searches at the suspects’ homes enabled security services to seize bladed weapons and computer equipment, which will undergo digital forensics.
The suspects included former detainees in terrorism-related cases in Spain, who were promoting ISIS ideologies. They also held meetings in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and Tetouan to plan and coordinate terrorist acts.
Suspects arrested in northern Morocco are now in custody for investigation to clarify their internal and external connections.
The joint security operation is part of the two countries’ ongoing determination to cooperate towards tackling all security threats, including terrorism as well as drug trafficking. .
In June, Morocco aided Spanish security services in the arrest of a suspect suspected of being a member of ISIS.
In July, the two countries also teamed up and arrested a group of eight terror suspects.
Morocco has been renewing its commitment to continue to boost counterterrorism efforts as well as all other forms of criminal activities, calling for a shared responsibility to address terrorism threats across the world – particularly in the Sahel.
In May, the country emphasized the importance of its counterterrorism approach during a meeting held on Monday by the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ).
During the event, a Moroccan representative emphasized the country’s “holistic and integrated” strategy in addressing terrorism and transnational crime.
