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Morocco busts theft gang with links to IS

Xinhua, January 21, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Moroccan security services on Friday busted a dangerous criminal gang specialized in robbery whose leader is an Islamic State (IS) sympathizer, Morocco's interior ministry announced.

The gang, which was operating in eastern and northern Morocco, is composed of seven people, including ex-convicts, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, the leader of this criminal group, a supporter of IS group, was planning to join his wife and three sons in the Iraqi-Syrian territories by the money he was gaining from the criminal activities of the gang.

The operation led to the seizure of knives, a car, equipment and suspicious substances used in criminal activities.

In 2016, Morocco busted 19 terrorist cells and arrested of 273 suspects, according to official figures. Endit