Spain-Morocco: Busted Jihadi Terrorist Cell, Six People Arrested
In coordination with members of the Directorate-General for Surveillance of the Territory of the Kingdom of Morocco, officers of the General Commissariat of Intelligence of the Spanish National Police Force and the Provincial Intelligence Brigade of Melilla broke up a jihadi terrorist cell comprising six individuals on Wednesday, of which two resided in Melilla (Spain) and four in Morocco.
Five of those arrested are of Moroccan nationality (one with legal residence in Spain) and the sixth individual arrested is of Spanish nationality and Moroccan origin.
The cell’s leader – residing in Melilla – recruited and indoctrinated new members by following the global strategy adopted by the terrorist organization Islamic State (DAESH). His job as a teacher’s assistant at a juvenile rehabilitation center enabled him to recruit and radicalize new members from among these particularly vulnerable young people.
According to sources close to the investigation, he was able to effectively conclude his recruitment activity during this period by building the terrorist cell that was broken up on Wednesday morning, the imminent purpose of which was to undertake a violent Jihad with a dangerous level of activity.
The investigation conducted by the Spanish National Police Force and the Directorate-General for Surveillance of the Territory of the Kingdom of Morocco (DGST) discovered that the group was holding clandestine nocturnal meetings, at which they were planning sizeable terrorist attacks. Furthermore, they observed physical training sessions that even included assassination simulations using decapitation.
This joint operation highlights the excellent collaboration that exists between the Spanish National Police Force and the Directorate-General for Surveillance of the Territory of the Kingdom of Morocco, which has once again led to the neutralization of a dangerous threat to both countries.
The operation, which is ongoing, was carried out by Central Investigation Court Number 5, in coordination with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Spanish National High Court.