A 28-year-old man suspected of involvement in the murder of two people in Forest 33 near Benslimane was arrested in the Ouezzane region on Sunday, as security forces pressed ahead with a search for his alleged accomplices.
The suspect, who has a criminal record, was picked up in Ounana during a joint operation by the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) and the Royal Gendarmerie, acting on intelligence provided by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST).
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The arrest came after investigators traced the killings to a suspected drug-trafficking network whose members include brothers from the Ouezzane region, believed to be among those running the illicit operation.
One of the brothers was arrested in Ounana. Another was detained during the raid on a separate warrant for alleged desertion from military service and handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie.
The main suspect was placed in police custody for questioning under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office.
Police and gendarmes, meanwhile, continued searching the forest near kilometer marker 33 in El Mansouria, closing several access roads to prevent suspects from escaping.
The search was stepped up after investigators uncovered evidence suggesting that the forest had been used for illicit activities over several months, including the consumption and distribution of hard drugs.
Poursuite des opérations de ratissage dans la forêt 33 aux environs de Mohammedia. (S.Kadry/Le360). . سعيد قدري
Investigators are now trying to establish the full circumstances of the double murder, identify the remaining suspects and determine whether the network was linked to other violent crimes reported in the forest.
Benslimane Governor El Hassan Boukouta is overseeing the operation through a security coordination unit, while the Interior Ministry has been monitoring developments for the past week.
Further searches are expected in the forest and surrounding areas in the coming hours.
