Translate


Friday, November 10, 2023

Spain: 14 Pakistanis Arrested on Suspicion of Terrorism

Pakistan


It has been repeatedly reported that Pakistani nationals are among those crossing our southern border illegally. Does this increase the threat of terror in our country? Consider what has just occurred in Spain. Spanish police have rounded up 14 Pakistanis who they say were plotting acts of terror in Spain.

The below article from El Pais dated November 7 is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://elpais.com/espana/2023-11-07/la-policia-detiene-a-14-personas-por-radicalizacion-islamista-en-seis-provincias-de-espana.html

Terrorism

14 detained for Islamist radicalization in macro-raid in 6 provinces in Spain

The arrestees, of Pakistani origin, joining 6 other arrestees for jihadism since the war broke out in Gaza. 

Patricia Ortega Dolz

Madrid Nov 7 2023 13:06 EST

A macro-raid staged by the General Commissariat of Investigation (CGI)  of the National Police on Tuesday resulted in 14 arrests in several provinces in Spain: seven in Barcelona, one in Lleida, one in Malaga, two in Gipuzkoa, two more in Valencia, and one in Logroño. The arrestees are primarily of Pakistani origin, and presumably, were radicalized and adhered to a fundamentalist interpretation of the Koran, the sacred book of Islam, confirm sources within the investigation, which remains open and began months ago. At the moment, pending the arrestees appearing in court, more details on this operation are not known.

Since the war in the Middle East began a month ago, after the Hamas attack and the response from Israel with its bombardments and later incursion into Gaza, police operations have taken place in Spain, while the level of terrorist alert has risen to 4 (out of 5), in the face of possible jihadist attacks like those occurred precisely in these past weeks in France and Belgium. In connection to the latter, on October 27, police also detained Kamal Afoullah in Belhavis (Malaga), a Belgian citizen of Moroccan origin (51) who Brussels authorities have linked with Abdesalem Lassoued, the perpetrator of the jihadist attack in Brussels that cost the lives of two Swedish football fans in the Belgian capital on October 16. 

On October 20, agents of the CGI also detained 4 other youths, among them a converted couple in the localities of Huetor-Tajar (Granada), Cubelles (Barcelona), Madrid, and Toledo. The arrestees are accused of "self-indoctrination with terrorist purposes, indoctrination of third parties, and glorification of terrorism," according to police sources.

That same day and prior to the escalation of violence in the Middle East, the acting minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, convened and presided over a meeting with the representatives of the parliamentary groups on October 20 with the objective of communicating to them the results of the meeting of the Terrorist Threat Evaluation Board, held days before, as well as the conclusions of the material addressed by the interior ministers of the 27 member states of the EU in the meeting just held in Luxembourg.

Finally, on November 3, it was made known that a young Moroccan, Said B., (25) residing in Terrassa with his family, was detained accused of encouragement to commit terrorist attacks in Spain and for being especially combative against the Jewish community and the LGBTQ collective. Police sources revealed that he was very active on TikTok social media, where he counted 370,000 followers.




No comments: