Seven people who are suspected to be linked to the Islamic State (IS) through aiding them with guns and bombs have been arrested by the Spanish National Police in Valencia, Alicante.
According to Euro Weekly News, the arrests took place last February 7 as a result of a two-year police investigation. The arrested people are said to be of Jordanian, Moroccan, and Syrian nationalities. At least one of the seven people was said to be responsible for the transportation of "military material, money, electronic and transmission material, firearms and precursors for making explosives" to the militant in Syria and Iraq.
The group reportedly made a faux company as their cover to be able to ship the items via closed containers. They said that the items inside the containers contained humanitarian aid, Time reported. Aside from the aforementioned logistical support, the leader of the group was also in constant communication with an IS member, who reportedly asked to recruit women to travel to Syria to wed the militants.
The statement regarding the arrest also said, "In total, twelve searches were conducted at the homes of those arrested, as well as in the places and warehouses where they conducted their illegal businesses." A video showing the arrest was also released featuring heavily armed police officials conducting raids in the supposed homes of the suspects. They emerged from the buildings with boxes of evidence, CNN reported.
This is the second anti-terror raid Spain has done for this year as per information from the Spanish Interior Ministry. Since the beginning of 2015, at least 83 people were arrested in Spain for their suspected links to the IS. The Spanish Interior Ministry also said that from 2011 to 2015, about 125 Spanish nationals and residents are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq as foreign fighters.
Among the seven arrested, two have been taken into custody while the others are still being questioned.
