Spanish police have apprehended 10 Pakistani citizens on terrorism charges in a significant operation targeting a suspected extremist network that was allegedly inciting violence.
According to an official statement from Spanish authorities, the arrests resulted from a collaborative effort between the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police), the Spanish National Police, and Italian law enforcement. An additional suspect was detained in the Italian city of Piacenza.
The most recent arrests occurred on the night of March 3 in various locations, including Montcada i Reixac, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Sabadell, and Santa Coloma de Gramenet. This operation follows previous detentions of five individuals in 2022 and 14 in 2023, bringing the total number of suspects arrested in connection with the case to 30.
Authorities have confirmed that the organization’s operational base was within Spain, ruling out any external connections. The alleged leader of the group is reportedly a 55-year-old Pakistani national.
Ongoing Investigations
Investigators have linked the group to an extremist organization that utilized encrypted messaging platforms to disseminate violent directives and glorify attacks carried out in Europe and Pakistan under accusations of blasphemy. It is reported that certain members of the network had begun identifying specific targets within Europe for potential attacks.
Authorities also disclosed that a separate online group, led by one of the arrested women, consisted exclusively of female members. This group was allegedly involved in spreading extremist propaganda and aiding in the selection of potential targets.
Furthermore, investigators discovered that the organization was self-funded, with members making regular contributions to finance its activities.
On March 6, the ten arrested individuals appeared before Spain’s Central Investigating Court No. 6, facing charges related to terrorist financing, recruitment, and aiding and abetting extremism. The court, working alongside Spain’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, ordered the detention of four suspects while the remaining individuals are under investigation.
Spanish police have emphasized that, despite the group’s operations within Spain, no external links to other international networks have been established to date.
