Abdelillah El Kaflaoui

Abdelillah El Kaflaoui, alias Abou Muslim, was born on February 16, 1967, in Casablanca, Morocco. At the age of 21, he moved to Italy, where he started a family and worked as a merchant, running a bazaar named al-Taiba in Milan, which sold foodstuffs and clothing. His business, located on Via Nazario Sauro, enabled him to maintain connections with many of his compatriots in Italy and abroad. He was also a partner in an Islamic butcher shop, El Kadessia, in Vercelli, frequented by individuals involved in investigations related to Islamic terrorism.
El Kaflaoui became a prominent figure in the Italian cell of the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (Jama’a Islamia Moukatila Maghrebia or MICG), a Sunni Islamist militant organization which had the objective to overthrow the Moroccan Kingdom and establish an Islamic regime. He served as the operational and logistical leader of the terrorist network in Varese. He operated with extreme caution and discretion while in Italy, but more information about his activities surfaced during his trips to Morocco, where he likely felt safer from Italian authorities.
Wiretapped conversations revealed that El Kaflaoui was deeply involved in fundraising and the distribution of jihadist propaganda. He took numerous precautions in his communications and behaviour, maintaining a low profile in his daily life. He frequently spoke with associates about individuals linked to al-Qaeda. In one notable phone call in February 2002, Raouiane Mohamed, a key MICG member in Italy, directed Faycal Ben Said, who was convicted of terrorism in Tunisia, to deliver fundraising money to El Kaflaoui and his associate Abdelmajid Zergout (alias Abou El Bara). This conversation confirmed El Kaflaoui’s central role in handling funds for the group. In June 2002, El Kaflaoui and Zergout met Faycal in Varese to receive a bag of money, underscoring their trust within the network.
Shortly after this meeting, El Kaflaoui travelled to Dubai, where he was briefly detained by the United Arab Emirates police before being released. This incident added to his growing profile within international jihadist circles. In addition to his logistical role, El Kaflaoui actively disseminated propaganda material with Zergout, often listening to tapes of Osama Bin Laden and other jihadist leaders in his van.
A February 2003 wiretap revealed that El Kaflaoui had transported tapes of fundamentalist preachers to Morocco and sold them at an Islamic institute in Turin. From February to April 2003, during a visit to Casablanca, El Kaflaoui felt more secure and dropped his usual caution in conversations, assuming he would not be monitored. During this time, wiretaps captured him discussing members of al-Qaeda, FBI’s interest in potential terrorists in Morocco and the possibility of arrests. Also, he expressed his concerns about “brothers” being interrogated in Morocco and fear that they might have implicated him as part of the MICG.
Moreover, El Kaflaoui’s wiretapped conversations during this period referenced false passports and a substance called “red mercury”, a material reportedly used in bomb construction. Third parties approached him about the availability of this substance, adding to suspicions regarding his involvement in terrorist logistics. Also, he frequently discussed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, expressing support for Islamic fundamentalism.
Upon his return to Italy, El Kaflaoui resumed his cautious behaviour, though some of the same topics surfaced in conversations with Zergout. They discussed terrorist attacks in Morocco, and although El Kaflaoui remained guarded, it was clear that his extremist views had not changed. He traveled again to Morocco in February 2004, continuing his clandestine activities in support of the MICG network.
In 2005, he was charged under Article 270bis of the Italian Penal Code for his involvement in a terrorist network, though not directly linked to any attacks. His role involved fundraising and logistical support for fighters and their families. He was placed in pretrial detention due to concerns he might flee with the network’s help. Despite this, he was acquitted in May 2007. However, shortly after, the Interior Ministry ordered his expulsion. His expulsion was suspended following an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.