Rabat – Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) arrested today four ISIS-affiliated suspects and foiled a terrorist plot in Had Soualem, a town in Berrechid in the Casablanca-Settat region.
A statement from the General Directorate for National Territorial Surveillance (DGST) said the suspects were planning explosive attacks to undermine Morocco’s security and stability.
Members of the BCIJ and DGST jointly conducted the raid alongside snipers and a helicopter force from the Royal Gendarmerie that carried out sweeps to ensure citizens’ safety during the operation. Authorities carried out raids in two houses, and arrested suspects aged 26,29,31, and 35. The statement noted that three of them are siblings.
Security services also seized knives, a large number of bottles containing chemical liquids and powders, as well as chemical fertilizers, sulfur, charcoal powder, and salts among several other substances. They also confiscated electrical wires and adhesive tapes that the suspects allegedly used to manufacture the explosives.
DGST also identified a video in which the suspects pledged their allegiance to ISIS and vowed to carry out imminent terrorist acts.
The suspects reportedly visited four pharmacies in one day, purchasing different chemical materials used in the production of explosives. The investigation shows that two of the arrested siblings prepared a map of their potential targets for the terrorist plans and documented those targets in photos and videos.
The suspects aimed to join ISIS training camps in the Shael following their terrorist plots. All of the suspects are now in custody to determine the circumstances of the case and uncover potential connections between the cell and global terrorist organizations.
This raid is one of many that Morocco regularly conducts as part of its counterterrorism efforts across the country. The latest operation took place on January 17, when BCIJ arrested a suspect for his alleged involvement in a terrorism plot in Tarourit in the Oriental region.
The suspect, who worked as a teacher in the province, had chemical substances that could be used to make homemade explosives, including hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and zinc sulfate.
Police also found various knives, and evidence that the suspect was gathering information to learn about substances used in making explosives.
