Terrorism, jihadist fighter arrested in Salerno

An internationally sought after jihadist fighter arrested in the province of Salerno. The State Police has in fact executed an international arrest warrant for “criminal association aimed at the preparation and commission of acts of terrorism, illegal possession of firearms, collective activity aimed at attacking public order and raising funds for the financing of acts of terrorism ”issued by the Attorney General at the Court of Appeal of Rabat (Morocco) on 28 June last and extended internationally on 8 July against a dangerous 29-year-old Moroccan fugitive. The man, thanks to an important contribution from Aisi and the DGST (Directorate General for the Surveillance of Terrorism) of Morocco, was located and then captured in Lago (Salerno), after an in-depth research activity carried out by Digos of Naples and Salerno, with the coordination of the Central Directorate for the Prevention Police – Service for the Fight against Extremism and External Terrorism and the contribution of the Service for International Police Cooperation, which promptly acquired the necessary documentation through the Interpol channels to the execution of the restrictive measure. The operation was carried out with the important coordination of the judicial authority of Salerno, in particular, after an articulated activity of observation, control and shadowing, integrated by the use of relevant technical equipment of the Scientific Police Service of the Central Anti-Crime Directorate, the man was identified near a bar along with other non-EU citizens. The Moroccan citizen, against whom there are reports in the Schengen database entered by Spain and France, had already emerged to the attention of the Security Section in 2018, as reported by Intelligence as a jihadist fighter who went to Syria in 2012 to participate in the conflict in ranks of the Al Nusra front and later of the Islamic State, in which he would have held the position of military leader. The man is currently detained at the Salerno Prison, at the disposal of the judicial authority pending the completion of the extradition procedure.