Madar (Rabat) - Forensic tests on material seized from a young man arrested in Tangier on suspicion of plotting attacks show he had reached "an advanced stage" of preparing explosives, Morocco's national police and domestic intelligence services said in a joint statement on Friday, October 16.
According to the statement, physical and chemical analyses carried out by the National Forensic Police Laboratory in Casablanca identified substances used to make explosives, including triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly unstable compound, as well as urea fertiliser and nitric acid used to produce urea nitrate.
Digital examination of a mobile phone found on the suspect showed it had been altered with added circuits and wiring to work as a detonation system, the statement said. Investigators also listed electrical meters, switches and nails intended as shrapnel, along with "technical traces" of experimental detonations.
The 22-year-old, described by the authorities as an Islamic State supporter, was arrested on October 9 by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), working with Tangier's judicial police on intelligence from the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST). Handwritten notes on cyber-intrusion techniques, welding equipment and chemicals were seized at the time.
The investigation continues under the supervision of the competent prosecutor's office. Authorities have not disclosed any intended targets or announced further arrests in the case.
