Morocco, Spain arrest extremists in joint security operation

The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) under the Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) arrested on Tuesday, as part of a joint security operation with the General Commissariat for Information of the Spanish police, an extremist active in Farkhana (Nador region), in parallel with the arrest by the Spanish authorities of other elements in the city of Melilla, including a former detainee in terrorism cases in Spain, who joined terrorist organizations in the Sahel region.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the people arrested as part of this joint operation are imbued with extremist ideology, in addition to their involvement in the recruitment and enlistment of other elements, says a DGST press release.

The individual arrested in Morocco will be placed in police custody under the supervision of the public prosecutor's office in charge of terrorism and extremism cases, in order to identify his possible links and terrorist plans.

This joint security operation is part of the ongoing and distinguished security coordination between the Moroccan security services and their Spanish counterparts, confirming once again the importance of the security partnership between the two countries to counter terrorist threats and strengthen bilateral cooperation, with a view to dissolving existing links between terrorist cells operating in Morocco and Spain.