Morocco’s security service in Beni Mellal, a city 222.9 kilometers south of Casablanca arrested on Friday a Swiss citizen who is facing a felony warrant for sexual exploitation of minors.
Preliminary investigations said Swiss judicial authorities issued the international arrest warrant against the 62-year-old suspect on June 15 for his alleged involvement in a case related to the sexual exploitation of minors.
“The case required an in-depth investigation,” which enabled Moroccan police to identify the suspect and his location.
The arrest took place in coordination with the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) services. The suspect has been placed in custody to determine the circumstances of the case.
The material seized during the suspect’s arrest was subject to technical expertise to verify whether it contained conclusive evidence proving all criminal acts attributed to the suspect.
The arrest is part of Morocco’s efforts to strengthen international security cooperation. The North African country’s security policy is based on cooperative measures in combating cross-border crime.
Morocco has been an active member of Interpol since 1957.
Friday’s security operation comes just a few weeks after the arrest of a 67-year-old French citizen at the Fez-Saiss international airport on June 3. The suspect was in possession of pornographic content involving minors. The police arrested him as he was attempting to take a France-bound flight.
National security database at the airport showed that the suspect was the subject of a nationwide search that Menkes judicial police issued against him.
Research data said that the suspect was involved in downloading, using, and sharing digital pornographic content on the internet on the sexual exploitation of children in foreign countries.
Interpol data said that its database holds over 4.3 million images and videos, which helped it identify o more than 32,000 victims worldwide.