Doha – Moroccan police arrested a 40-year-old French citizen of Tunisian origin at Marrakech Menara Airport early Tuesday morning.
The suspect was detained following an Interpol Red Notice issued by French judicial authorities for his alleged involvement in international drug trafficking and psychotropic substances.
The arrest came after the suspect was identified through Interpol’s criminal database during a routine check.
He has been placed in custody pending extradition proceedings, while French security authorities have been notified to initiate the necessary extradition procedures.
This arrest is the latest in a series of successful operations targeting French nationals wanted by Interpol in Marrakech. In early February, local authorities apprehended another French citizen who was subject to an international arrest warrant for attempted murder.
Last month, police arrested a 26-year-old French-Algerian national, Sahib El Asraoui, who was wanted for multiple homicides, including a 2023 killing in Dijon.
El Asraoui, who had entered Morocco using forged documents after fleeing France in March 2023, was also wanted for an attempted murder in Planoise in 2020, for which he had received a seven-year prison sentence.
Days before this arrest, a 25-year-old French national was arrested in the city after being found with a suspected fake passport. The suspect, who was in Morocco illegally, was subject to a Red Notice issued by the Central National Bureau in Paris relating to a prison sentence for attempted murder.
Read also: Hosting Interpol’s Key Summit Shows Morocco’s Growing Influence in Global Security
These arrests showcase Morocco’s strengthening role in international security cooperation, particularly as the country prepares to host the 93rd Interpol General Assembly in Marrakech in 2025.
At the previous assembly in Glasgow, Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, received the Interpol flag, marking the official handover to Morocco.
The country’s commitment to international security cooperation was further recognized by its election as Vice-President of Interpol for Africa, securing support from 96 member states.
The recent string of arrests reinforces the enhanced security cooperation between Rabat and Paris, a hallmark of Morocco’s expanding footprint in the fight against transnational crime through high-stakes global policing alliances.
