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Second Swiss arrested in Morocco over tourist beheadings

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The suspect was arrested in Témara (north of Casablanca). Keystone

A British-Swiss dual national was arrested on Thursday in Morocco in connection with the murder of a Danish and a Norwegian hiker in the Atlas mountains. 

The Swiss Federal Police (Fedpol) has confirmed news of the arrest that was first published by the Moroccan newspaper 360. His role in the murders is not yet known. 

According to the paper, the suspect was arrested in Témara (north of Casablanca) by the National Brigade of the Judicial Police. The man was residing in Morocco and has not returned to Switzerland recently, said Fedpol, which has not yet been asked by Morocco to investigate the individual. 

A 24-year-old Danish student and her friend, a 28-year-old Norwegian woman, were killed on the night of December 16 in southern Morocco, where they were on holiday. Their bodies were discovered in an isolated area in the High Atlas, an area popular with hikers. Both victims were beheaded. 

The first Swiss suspect (a Swiss-Spanish dual national) who was arrested on December 29 is still in pre-trial detention. He was allegedly part of an operation to recruit people to commit terrorist acts in Morocco. The Geneva native is suspected of being radicalised in Switzerland. He has a criminal record in Geneva for various crimes committed between 2007 and 2013.

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