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Morocco's BCIJ Dismantles ISIS-Linked Cell

Members of the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) show their skills during an event, open to the public, on September 28, 2018, in Marrakesh. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
Members of the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) show their skills during an event, open to the public, on September 28, 2018, in Marrakesh. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
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Morocco's BCIJ Dismantles ISIS-Linked Cell

Members of the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) show their skills during an event, open to the public, on September 28, 2018, in Marrakesh. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
Members of the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) show their skills during an event, open to the public, on September 28, 2018, in Marrakesh. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) busted on Friday a five-member terrorist cell in Safi, a city located in Western Morocco. The cell included a former detainee jailed for his involvement in terror-related charges with ISIS.

The suspects are aged between 21-36 Morocco’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement.

Investigations by the Security services found that the suspects had pledged allegiance to ISIS and were planning to join fighters in Syrian and Iraqi combat zones in coordination with members on the ground.

The suspects were also planning terror plots to undermine the security and stability of Morocco.

The BCIJ seized several electronic devices and knives, in addition to radicalized scripts, added the statement.

According to the ministry, one of the suspects “attempted to exploit his presence in a sub-Saharan country to obtain sponsors to join a group affiliated to ISIS, which is active in the Sahel region.

Police have put the suspects in custody for further investigations.

Since December 2018, BCIJ has arrested 918 people for terror-related crimes, including 14 women and 29 minors.

The number of terror cells and suspects for terror-related crimes has increased in Morocco. BCIJ has been especially active in the first two months of 2019, arresting a number of Isis-linked terrorism suspects between January and February.

In January, the bureau dismantled a 13-member terror cell for their alleged ISIS ties.

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Ex-Tunisian Minister Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Ex-Tunisian Minister Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Criminal Chamber specialized in financial corruption cases at the Court of First Instance of Tunis, sentenced on Friday former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher to three years in prison, the Tunisian official news agency, TAP, reported.
The ruling is part of a corruption case related to breaches in a transaction carried out by the former minister for the purchase of several vehicles.
Investigation showed that the tender conditions were allegedly manipulated in favor of one particulate supplier.
In addition to Mouakher, the Chamber condemned a civil protection executive, seconded to the Environment Ministry, to two years in prison.
The two defendants are found guilty of abusing their functions to obtain an undue advantage, and therefore causing harm to the administration and contravening the regulations in force.
On Thursday, the Criminal Chamber specialized in corruption cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced a security officer to three years in prison and four others to four years in prison on charges of abusing their functions to obtain an undue advantage and harm others.
The five security officers had formed a group for the purpose of attacking property and exploiting a public employee.
According to documents related to the case, surveillance activities revealed that the five defendants, who work at a central department, were involved in seizing private funds, giving night jobs to some department agents, and transferring the profits to their personal accounts.
Their case was first examined by the Financial Chamber, which decided to sentence the five security guards to prison.
The case was later referred to the Criminal Chamber that examines financial corruption cases. The chamber had earlier kept the five defendants at liberty, before issuing late on Thursday the prison sentences.