The Moroccan Ministry of the Interior announced on Tuesday that it had dismantled a terrorist cell operating in the city of Nador and Melilla. It is a security operation carried out jointly by the Central Board of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) and the General Intelligence Office of the Spanish National Police. The said cell is said to be affiliated with the Islamic State.
The security actions carried out by the Special Force of the DGST allowed the arrest of two individuals in the city of Nador. At the same time, on the other side in Melilla, the competent Spanish authorities have apprehended nine other members active in the same terrorist cell, said the BCIJ in a statement.
The inspection process resulted, according to the release, in the seizure of equipment and information devices, including cell phones, phone cards, a computer and digital media, which will be subjected to the necessary digital expertise.
According to the text, preliminary data from the investigation indicate that members of this terrorist cell were promoting extremist ideology through the dissemination of speech and digital content via computer systems or direct communication. And this, in order to recruit and enlist people to join terrorist organizations.
This joint security operation was carried out within the framework of the distinguished cooperation relations that link the Moroccan and Spanish security services. It is a cooperation that derives from the common will to strengthen the mechanisms for combating terrorism and extremism. The Moroccan and Spanish authorities share the concern to neutralize all risks and threats to the security and safety of both countries.