Searches carried out at the homes of three suspected members of the Islamic State (EI) in Morocco have led to the seizure of electronic equipment, sharp weapons and a wooden plaque bearing the terrorist organisation’s emblem.
The swoop was part of a major counter-terrorism operation by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), in coordination with the Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance (DGST).
The detainees, aged between 18 and 39, were arrested in separate raids in Fez, Fnideq and the rural community of Ouled Ghanem in El Jadida province.
Describing the operation, the BCIJ statement said DGST special forces carried out the raids based on intelligence provided by the DGST.
Searches of the suspects’ homes led to the seizure of electronic devices, sharp weapons and a wooden board with the EI emblem. The authorities also recovered extremist manuscripts, all of which will be subjected to digital forensic analysis.
Initial investigations suggest that the suspects had pledged allegiance to the EI ‘caliph’ and were involved in planning terrorist attacks. They had developed bomb-making expertise with the intention of targeting critical infrastructure in Morocco as part of their ‘individual terrorism’ programme.
The suspects, who are currently in custody, are being investigated by the BCIJ, the anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office, which is overseeing efforts to uncover their plans and any possible links to international terrorist groups.
As part of its ongoing counter-terrorism efforts, the BCIJ last month arrested a 16-year-old man suspected of belonging to EI in the rural commune of Ourika, near Marrakech. The young suspect is said to have planned several serious attacks on sensitive sites in Morocco.
MN/sf/ac/lb/as/APA