Former Moroccan Intelligence Official Linked to Major Data Leak

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Former Moroccan Intelligence Official Linked to Major Data Leak

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In August 2026, a hacking group known as Jabaroot claimed responsibility for leaking databases containing sensitive information on approximately 70,381 alleged members of Moroccan intelligence and police. The leaked data reportedly included names, dates of birth, identification numbers, and for some, ranks and banking details. This breach occurred amidst heightened tensions between Morocco and Spain, particularly following migrant arrivals in Ceuta in late July 2026. Jabaroot, which has identified itself as pro-Algerian, framed the leak as a “gift to Europe and, in particular, to Spain,” and a response to the Ceuta migration events, claiming to have evidence of Moroccan agents orchestrating these events.

Reports have linked Mehdi Hijaouy, a former high-ranking official in Morocco’s foreign intelligence service (DGED), to the security breach. Hijaouy, who joined the DGED in 1994 and received training from Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet in 2000, rose through the ranks to become a General Controller and head of the DGED’s operations division. He reportedly had access to highly sensitive information, including data related to the Pegasus spyware.

Hijaouy’s clandestine departure from Morocco in 2024 triggered a significant internal investigation and a wave of retaliatory measures against his associates, with 42 people investigated, prosecuted, or convicted between March 2025 and February 2026 for offenses such as fraud and assisting a fugitive. Moroccan authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Hijaouy, citing charges including fraud, facilitating illegal immigration, and money laundering. His ex-wife, Sara, publicly disavowed claims made by Hijaouy’s legal team in July 2026, denying allegations of surveillance by Moroccan authorities in Paris and reaffirming her loyalty to Morocco.

While European services reviewing the leaked files consider the names to be genuine, they also note that the information may be dated. Moroccan authorities, specifically the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) and the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), issued a formal denial on August 27, 2026, stating there had been no intrusion into their systems and that their databases meet strict cybersecurity standards and are disconnected from the internet.

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