SPANISH POLICE ARREST EIGHT INDIVIDUALS ALLEGEDLY

UNCLAS MADRID 000659 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT, AND EUR/WE NSC FOR ELIZABETH FARR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL SP SUBJECT: SPANISH POLICE ARREST EIGHT INDIVIDUALS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED WITH ISLAMIC TERRORISM REF: MADRID 73 ¶1. (U) According to the website of the Spanish Interior Ministry and press reports, Spanish National Police on the morning of June 10 arrested eight individuals in Barcelona, Castellon, and Pamplona during an operation aimed at an alleged Islamic terrorist cell that reportedly had been recruiting, supporting and financing would-be terrorists. The suspects are all believed to be from Algeria and have alleged ties with the terrorist group Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Although this investigation is in its initial stages, press reports suggest that there is thus far no connection with the alleged terrorist cell dismantled in Barcelona in January (REFTEL). During the arrests, police reportedly seized over 7,000 euros and evidence of financial transfers to third countries, presumably to finance terrorist acts. ¶2. (U) According to the website of the Ministry of Interior, the identities of the arrested individuals are: Arrested in Castellon -- Mohamed Bouacha (DPOB 03-16-1971 in El Harrach, Algeria) -- Mohamed Souici (11-14-1971 in Bouzereah, Algeria) -- Youcef Haddallah (03-1981 in Algiers, Algeria) -- Mourad Ait Kaid (04-16-1972 in Kouba, Algeria) -- Abdennour Chettah (09-30-1972 in Kouba, Algeria) Arrested in Barcelona -- Sid Ali Taukoucht (08-19-1968 in Pallat, Algeria) -- Abdelghani Himmouri (06-27-1979 in Becha, Algeria) Arrested in Pamplona -- Mustapha Yousfi (03-14-1972 in Oran, Algeria) //COMMENT// ¶3. (SBU) Terrorism finance investigations and arrests are relatively common in Spain. In 2007, press reports indicate Spanish law enforcement agencies pursued 165 suspected terrorism finance cases. In 87 of the cases, the targets were related to Islamic terrorism while the other cases involved the Basque terrorist group ETA or other groups. We do not have numbers on how many terrorism finance convictions have been obtained, although we do know that there are people in jail sentenced on terrorism finance grounds. According to the 2007 EU Terrorism and Situation and Trend Report (covering the time period from October 1, 2005 to December 31, 2006) 172 individuals were convicted on terrorism charges. This does not include hundreds of people who remain in jail on preventative detention. In Spain, individuals can be held for up to four years in preventative detention. Many of the terrorism finance leads come from banks and other financial institutions. In 2007, the Spanish Financial Intelligence Unit (SEPBLAC) received 135 alerts from financial entities, compared with 59 in 2006. Dudley