Tangier Police arrest Interpol-wanted Portuguese suspect

Tangier’s judicial police arrested a 33-year old Portuguese national who was the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the Portuguese authorities and an Interpol red notice, security sources announced Monday.

The suspect, who was spotted based on accurate information provided by the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance, was apprehended in Tangier on Sunday after he illegally entered Moroccan soil, the security source said.

According to preliminary investigations, the suspect is one of five dangerous criminals who managed to escape from prison in Portugal on September 7.

The suspect, who was serving a 25-year prison sentence in Portugal for ties with a criminal network and robbery at gunpoint, now faces a maximum prison sentence of 31 years under the international arrest warrant issued against him.

He has been placed in police custody for the judicial investigation, while criminal extradition procedures have been launched under international security cooperation mechanisms.

This arrest is part of a sustained effort by the DGSN-DGST Cluster to pursue internationally wanted persons in cross-border criminal cases.

The Moroccan security services attach great importance to strengthening international security cooperation mechanisms, particularly regarding the identification, tracking, and apprehension of internationally wanted persons in connection with serious criminal cases.