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Spanish authorities have apprehended 10 Pakistani nationals on terrorism-related charges during a large-scale operation targeting an extremist network accused of inciting violence.
The arrests were part of a coordinated effort involving the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police), the Spanish National Police, and Italian law enforcement. One suspect was detained in Piacenza, Italy.
The most recent arrests occurred on March 3 across locations such as Montcada i Reixac, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Sabadell, and Santa Coloma de Gramenet. This follows earlier arrests of five individuals in 2022 and 14 in 2023, bringing the total number of suspects linked to the investigation to 30.
Officials have said that the network operated exclusively within Spain, with its leader reportedly being a 55-year-old Pakistani citizen. The group is alleged to be connected to an extremist organization that utilized encrypted platforms to propagate violent messages and glorify attacks in Europe and Pakistan under the pretext of blasphemy. Some members were allegedly identifying potential targets in Europe for future attacks.
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Investigators also disclosed the existence of a women-only online subgroup, led by one of the arrested individuals. This group was reportedly engaged in disseminating extremist propaganda and assisting in the selection of targets.
The operation further uncovered that the network financed its activities independently, with regular contributions from its members.
