According to Moroccan news agency MAP, Greek officials were able to capture a 28-year-old Moroccan national who had held high positions within the Islamist State (ISIS) extremist group on Tuesday after acting on a tip from Moroccan security services.
According to a Moroccan security source, the suspect was apprehended as a result of "with the active contribution of Moroccan security services and their counterparts in Greece, Italy, England and the United States." in cooperative coordination and intelligence sharing.
Morocco's General Directorate of Studies and Documents, as well as the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance, played a crucial role in this respect.
According to the source, the suspect was the subject of an international arrest order issued by Moroccan police for his alleged involvement in the preparation of significant terrorist plans and the execution of "sabotage operations" in Morocco at the behest of ISIS.
The suspect, identified as "Abu Muhammad al-Fateh" joined ISIS in Syria in 2014 and held high positions in the group's "special division" in Deir Ez-Zor and the "religious police" or "Hisbah" in the Wilaya of Raqqa.
On a videotape, he was also shown executing a Syrian combatant, mutilating his body, and threatening those he referred to as "the enemies of religion"
According to the source, the ISIS senior operative was able to flee Syria and enter Europe via Greece, using forged personal documents and a false name, before being apprehended as part of a combined security operation.
According to MAP, Moroccan legal officials have been alerted of the suspect's detention, and communication with Greek authorities is proceeding through the Moroccan General Directorate of National Security's Interpol office in order to finalize the suspect's extradition procedure.
The successful security operation, to which Moroccan security services helped, "underlines the importance of international security cooperation in fighting terrorism and tracking down members of terrorist organizations." according to the same source.
This cooperative action also "reflects the serious and effective role played by the kingdom of Morocco in promoting security and stability at the regional and international levels," according to the source.
Morocco has played a critical role in avoiding many terrorist attacks on European soil, according to Western security services.
