Morocco and four countries dismantle ISIS support network

In an exemplary display of cross-border cooperation, Morocco once again distinguished itself by playing a pivotal role in a vast anti-terrorist operation, illustrating its unwavering commitment to the fight against the scourge of terrorism.

With meticulous coordination and effective synergy, the Kingdom contributed to significant victories such as the release of hostages and the dismantling of terrorist networks, reinforcing its international stature as a bastion of security and stability.

The Spanish National Police, in close collaboration with Moroccan intelligence services, demonstrated once again that the web of justice spares no criminal, however elusive.

In an operation that resounds like a thunderclap in the clear skies of the fight against terrorism, the forces of law and order have thwarted the sinister plans of the ISIS organization.

This judicial ballet, orchestrated with clockwork precision, led to the arrest on Spanish soil of five suspects presumed to belong to the terrorist nebula.

Four of these individuals, now confined behind bars, are contemplating the other side of the coin of their unspeakable designs.

International cooperation, the cornerstone of this security victory, is to be commended.

It proves, if proof were still needed, that there is strength in numbers, even in the complex and shadowy arena of counter-terrorism. This success is the fruit of hard work, unwavering perseverance and a strategy which, step by step, has thwarted adversity with surgical precision.

In detail, this initiative, dubbed Operation MIYA and launched in 2021 by the Spanish National Police’s General Commissariat for Information (CGI), is the fruit of close collaboration between twelve countries, including Morocco’s General Territorial Surveillance Direction (DGST), a key player who has provided its expertise and unfailing support.

This synergy has also included renowned security institutions such as the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Swiss Federal Police (FEDPOL) and EUROPOL, the Algerian and Mauritanian Directorates General of Internal Security, etc., marking a decisive step forward in international cooperation against terrorism.

Spain, for its part, saw its provincial information brigades, notably those of Valencia, Alicante, Cáceres and San Sebastian, as well as the National Intelligence Centre (CNI), play a vital role under the aegis of the Central Investigating Court number 6 and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court.

The success of this operation can be measured not only by the eight arrests in the first phase, but also by the significant seizure of over 200,000 euros in cryptocurrencies, a blow to the financing of extremist networks.

The scenario that led to these arrests is worthy of a film plot: an individual of North African origin, resident in Spain, suspected of collusion with a jihadist who had taken the Balkan route to Europe with the aim of carrying out an attack in France.

The vigilance and expertise of the security forces enabled this imminent threat to be neutralized.

The joint operation carried out with remarkable efficiency in Switzerland and Spain thwarted the plans of these extremists, with simultaneous arrests and a meticulous investigation that revealed the existence of an international network of support for ISIS.

This network, spanning three continents, was exposed after an in-depth investigation, revealing ramifications in Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Sahel, the Maghreb and Europe.

The network’s sophisticated financing methods, involving cryptocurrency transactions, testify to the complexity and adaptability of modern terrorist organizations.

However, Operation MIYA dealt a severe blow to these illicit activities, hindering ideological propagation and preparations for attacks that could have shaken global security.

The operation in question marked a decisive turning point in the fight against violent extremism, with the partial dismantling of ISIS’ structures and logistical networks in Europe, the Middle East and the Maghreb.

It also helped to thwart the recruitment and radicalization plans orchestrated by this terrorist organization. This success eloquently underlines the need for effective transnational collaboration to counter threats to international security.

Since the beginning of 2023, the General Commissariat for Information, in a spirit of vigilance and responsiveness, has led a series of 22 strategic interventions resulting in the arrest of 54 individuals suspected of jihadism, 36 of whom were apprehended during the nine most recent operations orchestrated over the past two months.

This ongoing commitment to the surveillance and neutralization of terrorist activities demonstrates our unwavering determination and first-rate international security cooperation, essential in the constant challenge posed by the global terrorist threat.