How Did Morocco’s Makhzen Intelligence Spy on Algerians at French Airports?

Once again, the French media blew the Moroccan Makhzen regime, confirming beyond any doubt that there was a protection that fell amid the dramatic diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Paris, after decades of concealment that contradicts the ethics of freedom of expression that the French media praises.

Although the case of the Moroccan regime’s involvement in political corruption by buying off some MEPs to defend its interests and cover up its internal scandals in suppressing freedoms, violating human rights and imprisoning journalists without respecting international regulations, has not yet reached trial, the French newspaper “Le Journal du Dimanche”, in its latest issue, came out with an investigation that accurately revealed the identity of the central person in the scandal mentioned above.

The sensitivity of the issue and its significant impact on relations between Rabat and Paris did not prevent the newspaper from publishing the identity of Mohamed Belahreche, an officer of the Moroccan Foreign Intelligence Service (General Directorate for Studies and Documentation), which is run by Mohamed Yacine Mansouri, a friend of Moroccan King Mohammed VI, and his companion since years of school.

French JDD newspaper said that Mohamed Belahreche, bearing the code “M118” at the DGSD, 58, was born in Nador in the north of the Kingdom of Morocco on June 7, 1964, is the one who is at the heart of the scandal that erupted since end of 2022, and caused the imprisonment of senior officials in the European Parliament, on charges of forming a criminal organization and money laundering, similar to the former Greek vice president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, and the former Italian MEP, Pier Antonio Panzeri and other officials, after the Belgian police seized over 1.5 million euros from corrupt money.

The accused MEPs were only released on bail, while the former Italian MEP, Panzeri, decided to cooperate with the Belgian justice, in exchange for a reduced sentence. He is also suspected of having turned into an agent of Moroccan foreign intelligence immediately after the end of his parliamentary term in 2019.

The Moroccan intelligence agent, Mohamed Belahreche, is presented as the liaison with the former Italian MEP, Antonio Panzeri, who was described by the Belgian justice as the mastermind of the case of buying off MEPs with Moroccan corrupt money and trying to influence their decisions, which was considered a blatant interference in European affairs.

According to the French newspaper, the activity of the Moroccan intelligence agent was monitored in 2013 in Spain, through his attempts to penetrate mosques in this country. This was discovered two years after that date, and the cell he planted was dismantled, after which Mohamed Belahreche travelled to French soil in 2016, and there he continued his activity in monitoring and following up on people affiliated with the Islamic movement, by obtaining secret information regarding some Moroccan immigrants, illegally and directing it towards a “foreign power”, about the Moroccan intelligence.

The practices of the Moroccan intelligence officer did not stop at following up and monitoring Moroccan elements with Islamic tendencies, but also extended, according to “Le Journal du Dimanche”, to monitoring Algerian personalities passing through French airports and providing their information to the Moroccan authorities with the help of some agents infiltrating the French police services, similar to Charles. D., who was imprisoned for eight years, before being dismissed, a case that was the subject of efforts to dismantle its mysteries by the French justice in the “Créteil” region, by trying to reach the identity of the suspected Moroccan agent at the time, Mohamed Belahreche.

An arrest warrant was issued against Mohamed Belahreche, or agent “M118”, on February 13, 2018, on charges of corruption and disclosure of professional secrets. A team of investigators affiliated with the General Inspectorate of the French Police moved to his place of residence in Strasbourg, and there they found a person named Fouad. D. confessed to them that he is his friend and that he works for the services of the Moroccan Interior Ministry.

His trial before the Créteil court is scheduled for November 9, 2023, but the chances of placing him at the helm are almost nil.