Moroccan Man Arrested for International Terrorist Threats and Extortion Scheme

The defendant, a 42-year-old man, an employee of a call center in Casablanca, was sending emails containing terrorist threats to hotel establishments, service companies and schools in Morocco and abroad, to whom he then demanded large sums of money not to carry them out, according to a statement from the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN).

After investigations, the accused was identified and arrested in Casablanca. The searches carried out at his home by the investigators allowed the seizure of computer equipment and storage media, which are currently being analyzed.

The terrorist threats of the defendant affected the daily life of the Brussels residents. About thirty schools in the Belgian capital had to close their doors on Monday, fearing that the suspect would carry out his threats. "The suspect threatened to detonate bombs in exchange for money, which led to the preventive closure of schools," the Brussels prosecutor’s office explained.

And to add: "The arrested person, of Moroccan nationality, was questioned and confessed the facts to the Moroccan authorities. The initial conclusions of the investigation show that the suspect does not have terrorist motivations. He is accused of threats and extortion."