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German court convicts terrorist suspect following Moroccan intelligence breakthrough

Friday 28 - 11:50 By: Dakir Madiha

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A German court has sentenced a 29-year-old Germano-Egyptian national to six years in prison for plotting a terrorist attack on German soil. This ruling signifies a substantial achievement in cross-border counterterrorism efforts, stemming from a detailed intelligence operation that thwarted a potentially catastrophic incident.

The suspect was apprehended in October 2023 in Duisburg, following critical intelligence provided by Morocco’s Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST). Investigators disclosed that the individual had developed advanced plans to target public spaces using a truck as a weapon. German authorities had suspicions regarding his intentions to carry out multiple attacks, including a truck bomb assault.

Deeply radicalized and reportedly aligned with ISIS operatives in Syria and Iraq, the suspect had immersed himself in extremist propaganda prior to intervention by security services.

The arrest underscores Morocco’s escalating significance in international intelligence sharing. Reports suggest that Moroccan security agencies supplied German authorities with precise details concerning the suspect’s identity, operational methods, and the imminent threat he posed. These vital insights enabled German law enforcement to neutralize the potential attack before it could be executed.

This case exemplifies the strong collaboration between Moroccan and European security organizations. The successful intervention highlights the indispensable role of intelligence cooperation in mitigating terrorist threats. Recent high-level meetings, including discussions between Moroccan intelligence chief Abdellatif Hammouchi and his Spanish and German counterparts in Madrid in January, concentrated on fortifying transnational counterterrorism frameworks.

Morocco’s DGST, in conjunction with the Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ), has been instrumental in dismantling terrorist plots both domestically and internationally. Recently, Moroccan authorities successfully disbanded two terrorist cells linked to ISIS in the Sahel region. According to various reports and official statements, these operations anticipated and thwarted advanced terrorist plans before they could be executed.