Marrakech – Moroccan authorities arrested three high-value suspects in Tangier and Agadir as part of a Europol-coordinated operation against transnational criminal networks, the EU police agency disclosed on Friday. The three men were wanted in connection with alleged murder plots, kidnappings, violent crime, and drug trafficking in countries including Sweden and Norway.
The arrests form part of Operational Taskforce (OTF) GRIMM, which targets what Europol calls “violence-as-a-service” networks operating across Europe. The task force focuses on the upper levels of these groups: those suspected of ordering attacks, finding perpetrators, and coordinating crimes from abroad.
In Tangier, Moroccan authorities arrested on September 12 a 28-year-old Danish national wanted for allegedly instigating murders and kidnappings. His profile had appeared on the EU Most Wanted website in June.
Later that month, also in Tangier, they detained a 21-year-old Swedish national suspected of holding a leading role in the “Foxtrot” criminal network. He was wanted for instigating violent crimes in both Sweden and Norway, and his profile had been published in April.
The third arrest came in Agadir on September 25, when authorities apprehended a 31-year-old Swedish national wanted for two alleged offenses involving preparations for murder. Swedish police identify him as a central figure in directing the network’s violent activities and drug trafficking.
The Moroccan arrests were part of a wider sweep of five suspects across Morocco, Spain, and France.
In Sitges, Spain, on August 1, the Spanish National Police arrested a 21-year-old Swedish national suspected of involvement in around 20 serious violent offenses, including murders and attempted murders targeting rival groups. He allegedly trained young recruits to carry out killings and taught them to use firearms and explosives he supplied.
In Paris, on September 29, French authorities arrested a man in his mid-20s suspected of recruiting people to carry out violence-as-a-service crimes.
According to Europol, these networks rely on a chain of actors: an instigator who orders and finances an attack, a recruiter who finds someone to carry it out, and facilitators who arrange weapons, transport, or payment.
Young people, including minors, are recruited through social media and messaging platforms with promises of money, status, or belonging. Those directing the violence exploit this distance to conceal their involvement while exposing recruits to the immediate risks.
The operation reflects Morocco’s deepening security cooperation with Europe, and Spain offers the clearest example. In March, its Interior Ministry aid cooperation between the Spanish National Police and Morocco’s DGST had produced 31 joint counterterrorism operations and 150 arrests since 2014. Madrid explicitly described Morocco as a “fundamental partner” in Spain’s strategy for countering jihadist threats.
The EU has long sought deeper institutional police cooperation with Morocco. The European Commission received authorization to negotiate an agreement allowing Europol and Moroccan authorities to exchange personal data for fighting terrorism, organized crime, migrant smuggling, firearms trafficking, narcotics and cybercrime.
The broader EU-Morocco framework explicitly calls for developing cooperation between Moroccan police and EU member-state authorities.
Cooperation with Spain also extends to migration and border security. During the July occupied Ceuta migration episode, Spain’s Interior Ministry publicly praised what it called Morocco’s “exemplary cooperation,” saying Moroccan security forces had prevented thousands of irregular-entry attempts and that both countries had agreed to strengthen coordination further.
Read also: How Moroccan Security Expertise Became a Pillar of Sweden’s Fight Against Organized Crime
