Marrakech police arrested a man Monday evening suspected of extorting and assaulting a foreign tourist after a video posted by the visitor documenting the alleged incident was widely shared on social media.
According to a security source, officers from the city’s Old Medina police district acted swiftly after the footage surfaced online, identifying and locating the suspect within hours.
The man, who has previous convictions for operating as an unlicensed tourist guide, is suspected of demanding money from the tourist after accompanying him on an unsolicited tour of Marrakech’s historic medina.
Police said the suspect allegedly assaulted the tourist after he refused to hand over the money.
Following intensive search operations, officers tracked down and arrested the suspect in one of the old city’s alleyways.
He has been placed in police custody pending an investigation conducted by the judicial police under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor’s office.
Investigators are working to establish the full circumstances of the case and determine all criminal offenses allegedly committed by the suspect.
