Moroccan authorities have arrested a teacher suspected of involvement in a terrorist plot. The arrest was conducted by judicial police in Tarourit, a town in the Oriental region of Morocco. Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) stated that the operation occurred based on information the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST) handed over to the police.
As reported by Morco media, police seized suspicious chemical substances during a search of the suspect’s home. It is believed that it may be used to produce homemade explosives. The government also discovered some bottles of hydrogen peroxide, hydrochloric acid, and zinc sulphate among the substances identified in the house of the accused.
Police also found various blades, mobile phones, and other electronic gadgets that have all been sent for proof and are under investigation. Preliminary data indicates that the suspect also collected information to learn regarding the mechanisms and substances utilised in creating explosives, intending to use them for a potential terrorist scheme to undermine public order.
How does Morocco fight terrorism?
Since the 2003 Casablanca attacks, Morocco has employed a multi-layered approach against terrorism. Since then, its national security policy has witnessed a significant shift. It has improved its security structures with the creation of the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) in 2015, mainly to break terrorist cells and avert attacks. Moroccan security forces have interdicted over 183 terror cells and averted 361 terrorist acts since 2002.
Morocco plays a prominent function in helping international partners in tackling and disassembling terror networks, especially those linked to ISIS. Earlier this week, Spanish General Commissioner for Information Javier Antonio Susin Bercero praised Morocco’s intelligence steps in the war against terrorism, stating that Madrid has bypassed dangerous terrorist episodes multiple times thanks to trustworthy intelligence from DGST services.
The North African nation has enabled Spain, on several occasions, to dismantle terrorist compartments, including high-profile terrorists that aimed to damage the European country’s security. More than 1,000 Moroccan nationals joining ISIS and other terrorist groups did not stop Morocco from successfully dismantling more than 200 terrorist cells and making more than 3,500 terrorism-related arrests in its history over the past two decades. With this sort of proactive effort, it has considerably reduced the number of successful attacks inside its territory.
