Story of the Second Man in Moroccan Intelligence

The Moroccan security services monitored the second man in the Moroccan foreign intelligence service, Mehdi Hajawi, when he was in Madrid, without the knowledge of the (Spanish) Interior Ministry, the Spanish newspaper “La Razon” revealed.

The target ended up fleeing Spain with his family, confirming that his life and theirs were in danger, and his whereabouts remained a mystery.

The Spanish newspaper reported on Friday the details of the deputy head of Moroccan foreign intelligence, Mehdi Hajawi’s, escape, defection from the security services in the Kingdom, and entry into Spanish territory. The newspaper explained that “Hajawi’s life took a radical turn when he learned of a corruption case and informed King Mohammed VI about it. The authorities reviewed all the documents he submitted, but they were not sufficient and ordered his arrest, which forced him to suddenly leave the country in which he had worked for more than two decades.”

He initially settled in France with his wife and their baby, who was only a few months old. The turmoil quickly affected the family, as the source confirms: “Mehdi’s wife would go out into the street pushing her baby’s stroller, while the Moroccan intelligence services were constantly following her. She could see the faces of those who, according to her husband, were embassy workers. Fearing for her safety, she informed the Paris police on September 10 at 3:38 p.m., confirming to the officers that these people who were following her: did not speak to me or touch me.”

Because of this “tight surveillance”, the family decided to travel again, this time to Madrid. They moved to an apartment on Jorge Juan Street, where Hajawi paid the rent because his two sons (from his first wife), aged 25 and 20, lived there.

In September of the same year (2024), the National Police arrested Hajawi, after a search and arrest warrant was issued against him by Morocco.

For this reason, he testified before the Court of First Instance No. 1 of the Audiencia Nacional, clearly and forcefully opposing his extradition. Thus, he stated before the Audiencia Nacional that he had worked for 24 years in the Moroccan secret police and that he had written to Mohammed VI to warn him about the corruption of his friends.

Mehdi Hajawi confirmed that he had previously reported threats to him in Paris and that he was being persecuted. According to his claims, he had only been in Spain for three days, and that he had come with a friend who had left Madrid with him. The aim was to see his children, for whom he was paying a monthly rent of 4,500 euros. He had another son living in Dubai.

In his testimony he confirmed that he wanted to apply for political asylum in Spain, he justified this by saying that his income came from the security lessons he gives online. The Public Prosecutor’s Office requested his release but asked him to provide documents proving his fears.

The Spanish newspaper continues: “From that moment on, Hajawi’s ordeal began in Spain, as the Moroccan security services surrounded the building where he lived with his family in central Madrid. When the pressure on him and his family reached its peak and they feared for their lives again, Hajawi contacted the Spanish National Intelligence Service to provide evidence of his persecution, even though the Interior Ministry did not know about these espionage activities on Spanish territory.”

After his release, Hajawi was scheduled to appear before the National Court on November 7, 2024. His trial was postponed to November 21st, but he did not appear on either of these dates. The court waited for his presence all morning. For this reason, the court issued a search and arrest warrant against him on November 26, 2024. The Spanish National Police went to his home to see if he was there, but no one opened the door for the officers. Two months later, the whereabouts of Mehdi Hajawi and his family remain a mystery.

According to the sources consulted, keeping his whereabouts secret is key to his survival. At various points during his stay in Spain, Hajawi became fearful for his life and that of his family. He became acquainted with the spies who were following him, as he controlled the Moroccan intelligence service.

The Spanish newspaper described the German-born Medi Hajawi as a “director of spies” and that he has a great security background, as he is considered one of the most knowledgeable Moroccan security experts. One of the last positions he held was that of head of security for the Moroccan national football team during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.