Rabat – Moroccan police arrested a 34-year-old French national in Marrakech on Thursday after discovering that he was wanted internationally by French authorities.
The suspect was arrested by officers from the Marrakech regional judicial police service, according to a security source.
A check of his details in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) database showed that he was the subject of a red notice issued at the request of the French National Central Bureau in Paris.
French authorities suspect the man of having links to a criminal network involved in the international trafficking of drugs between France and Spain, according to the same source.
Following his arrest, Moroccan authorities placed the suspect in police custody under instructions from the competent public prosecutor’s office.
The Rabat-based National Central Bureau of Interpol, which operates under Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), has also notified its French counterpart of the arrest as part of extradition proceedings.
The arrest comes as Moroccan authorities continue to cooperate with international law enforcement agencies to track down individuals wanted in connection with cross-border crimes.
Interpol red notices are requests to police forces worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or other legal action. They are based on an arrest warrant or court order issued by the requesting country.
