Morocco Installs Suspected Spy Antenna Near Spanish Border, Raising Security Concerns

"It could be a new listening system to control the communications of the Civil Guard, the National Police, the military, the CNI, politicians, etc. in Melilla," military sources in Melilla explained to the newspaper El Español. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has told the same source that it is not aware of a request for authorization from Morocco for the installation of this antenna "two meters or more, capable of capturing frequencies" on the border. On the other hand, the military command in Melilla claims to be aware of this operation.

Moroccan sources in the Nador region confirm that it is a radiotelecommunication antenna aimed at "strengthening the communication of the army’s radio station". The installation is made with a coaxial cable used to transport radio frequency signals without interference and in video surveillance systems, and an optical fiber cable capable of detecting words spoken more than a kilometer away and interpreting them.

The current fence system between Spain and Morocco at the level of Melilla has established a no man’s land that de facto falls under Moroccan jurisdiction even though it is on Spanish territory, in accordance with the borders set in the 19th century. But no armed forces of the two countries can enter this "neutral zone", as indicated in a report by researcher Miguel Acosta-Sánchez, from the University of Cadiz. However, according to images to which El Español had access, at least three members of the Moroccan armed forces can be seen carrying out the installation of the antenna on this territory.

The area has always been occupied by Morocco, which has erected military buildings there dedicated to "controlling migratory flows," according to Moroccan sources. "Morocco exercises its full sovereignty and jurisdiction over this territory, with the full consent of the Spanish administration," explains Acosta-Sánchez in his work entitled "The land borders of Spain in Melilla: Delimitation, border fences and no man’s land".