Assahafa.com
Morocco’s Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) has denied allegations in an article published by the French newspaper Le Figaro about an alleged delay in the investigation into the disappearance of a French national in Rabat in 2024, while affirming that its services are still pursuing investigations into this case, in accordance with legal provisions.
In a statement, the DGSN said it had taken note of an article published by the French daily newspaper Le Figaro concerning the reported disappearance of a French national in Rabat, which was inaccurate and contained allegations attributed to some parties involved in the case claiming a delay in the investigation and non-response of the team of investigators to requests from the family of the missing person.
In order to inform the public and elucidate the situation, the DGSN wishes to outline the main lines of inquiry in this case, as well as all the field operations, technical expertise and requisitions carried out, while respecting the limits of publication authorized by law in a judicial case under ongoing investigation.
On April 13, 2024, the Rabat Police Prefecture received a report that a French national had disappeared from the apartment he was renting. Initial findings by the judicial police, assisted by crime scene technicians, revealed no evidence of a criminal offense, as there were no signs of forced entry or theft, and the individual’s personal belongings, computer and electronic equipment, and a sum of money were found at the scene.
The investigation was stepped up to determine whether a crime had been committed, with crime scene experts and the National Forensic Science Laboratory team inspecting and searching the apartment of the missing person, as well as that of a person who had been with him prior to his disappearance, using state-of-the-art technical equipment and materials, The DGSN emphasizes. DNA samples were also taken from these locations for use in the investigation, although no clues or evidence to support the possibility of criminal actions were found.
To elucidate the circumstances of the disappearance of this French national, who was 29 years old at the time of the events, the competent public prosecutor’s office entrusted the investigation to the National Judicial Police Brigade (BNPJ) in Casablanca, which interviewed all the people who had been in contact with the missing person, communicated with him by phone, or were among his acquaintances, resulting in more than 60 interview and interrogation reports.
In addition, the investigation team carried out technical analyses on certain electronic equipment and devices belonging to the individual in question, to no avail.
The itinerary of the cities he had visited in Morocco, namely Tetouan and Chefchaouen, was retraced, with trips made to these cities to interview all the people he had met there, but without finding him, the statement points out.
In the same context, the BNPJ, under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor’s office, sent dozens of requests for data and technical requisitions to telecommunications operators, banks, and financial institutions, as well as to the Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration, in connection with the financial transactions of the person concerned, his communications prior to his disappearance, and the foreign-registered vehicle he was using at a certain point in Morocco.
Similarly, with the authorization of the public prosecutor’s office, the investigation team made requests through international security cooperation channels to trace the financial transfers of the missing person, which confirmed the same results as the previous investigations.
Contrary to what was reported by the newspaper Le Figaro and, in refutation of allegations attributed to the investigation team, the DGSN affirms that the family of the person reported missing was received on more than five occasions at the headquarters of the Regional Judicial Police Brigade in Rabat, that they were informed of the progress of the investigation, and that their son’s personal belongings were returned to them, in accordance with a report drawn up for this purpose, on the instructions of the competent public prosecutor’s office.
The National Judicial Police Brigade also responded to all requests from the French liaison officer in Morocco, particularly those relating to phone reports received by the father of the missing person, indicating his alleged presence in several cities, namely Casablanca, Mohammedia, Ifrane, Azrou, Khenifra, Fez, as well as in some mountainous areas of the High Atlas.
Six research teams were mobilized and dispatched to the aforementioned cities, including one team that conducted field investigations for more than three weeks in the High Atlas regions. All individuals who had filed reports were interviewed, and those suspected of being the missing person were identified. Checks revealed that there were three individuals: a French national, an Estonian national, and a Moroccan citizen who had no connection with the French national reported missing.
For further investigation, the BNPJ issued an urgent search notice to all National Security and Royal Gendarmerie services, requesting search for any French nationals matching the description of the missing person. These searches, which also included hospitals and psychiatric clinics, were unsuccessful, given that all testimonies obtained confirmed that the missing person suffered from serious psychological complications.
Regarding the hypothesis of religious radicalization of the missing person, mentioned in Le Figaro article, the DGSN affirms that searches and investigations conducted on this subject, in coordination with the Directorate General for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), have not established any link of an extremist nature concerning the person in question on national territory.
While providing clarification on the progress of the investigation into this case and refuting the false allegations published, DGSN states that BNPJ’s investigation into this case is ongoing, in accordance with legal provisions, as the latest legal action taken in this regard having been carried out on January 20, 2026.
Source: map
