Rabat – Moroccan police have arrested a man suspected of assaulting and attempting to extort a foreign tourist in Marrakech after a video of the incident circulated online.
Police in Marrakech’s Old Medina district said they arrested the suspect on Monday evening. The man has a criminal record for working as an unlicensed tourist guide and is suspected of extortion accompanied by physical assault.
According to a security source, police launched an investigation after a foreign tourist posted a video describing the incident.
The tourist said the suspect approached them after they got lost and tried to find their way out of Marrakech’s old medina. He insisted on accompanying him and another visitor, but he allegedly took them deeper into the medina.
The tourists were not satisfied with the places they were taken to and decided to end the tour and leave on their own.
The suspect then allegedly demanded MAD 1,000 (around $110) for his services. When the tourists refused to pay, an argument broke out.
According to the tourist’s video, some locals distracted the suspect and the two tourists were able to leave and get inside the taxi. However, the man allegedly followed them and slapped the tourist from the open window before they drove away.
Police said intensive investigations allowed officers to identify and arrest the suspect in one of the narrow streets of the old medina.
The suspect has been placed in police custody while the judicial police continue their investigation under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor’s office.
Authorities said the investigation aims to determine all the criminal acts the suspect may have committed.
