Three detained in Catalonia and Tangier accused of being part of DAESH cell

CNA (Barcelona).- The Spanish police has detained three suspected jihadists this Monday morning accused of being part of a DAESH cell in Badalona, Salou, and Tangier. In Catalonia the arrested are two men aged 21 and 32 of Moroccan nationality. In addition, with the collaboration of Morocco's General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST) a member of the same cell has also been detained in Tangier. The two arrested in Badalona and Salou were in regular contact with other members in Spain now arrested for belonging to DAESH, and also with important members of this terrorist organization in Syria and Iraq, where, according to Spanish police, they were supposed to go to fight in “jihad” and die as martyrs. 

With this aim, the two people, arrested in Catalonia this Monday morning, repeatedly watched and exchanged audiovisual DAESH material, and during the investigation, received instructions on military formation, and practiced boxing and body combat techniques. On the other hand, according to police sources, they had begun assignments of indoctrinating people within their circles. One of the arrested, for example, had already convinced his girlfriend to follow his brother, who was already fighting in Syria. 

The cell’s members found, indoctrinated, and recruited people to DAESH not only face-to-face, but also virtually. To this they used videos and photos inciting armed struggle and encouraging them to commit suicide attacks. One of the two people arrested in Catalonia was in Spain illegally. 

The operation is still ongoing. It is the continuation of an important achievement in October 2015, in which the Spanish and Moroccan police collaborated in the detention of ten people who looked for, indoctrinated, and recruited people to DAESH in the two countries. 

From June 26, 2015, when the Ministry of Internal Affairs elevated the antiterrorist alert to 4, 162 people have been detained in operations in and outside the Spanish state and a total of 207 people have been arrested since the beginning of 2015.