French national of Malian origin on international arrest warrant nabbed in Tangier

Officers from the Tangier Police Prefecture, in coordination with the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance, on Tuesday apprehended a French national of Malian origin, residing illegally in Morocco. The individual was subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the French authorities, according to a security source.

The 40-year old suspect was arrested in a Tangier neighborhood while caught in the act of possessing and using a forged foreign passport bearing his identity details, the security source added.

A check against the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) database confirmed that the individual was the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the French judicial authorities. He is suspected of links to a criminal gang involved in an attempted homicide, extortion, and firearm-related violence.

The suspect has been placed in custody and French judicial authorities have been notified of his arrest, pending the submission of the extradition file.

This operation falls within the framework of international security cooperation and the efforts of Moroccan security services to track down individuals wanted internationally in transnational crime cases.