Spain takes down ring that forged documents for terrorists

Madrid, Dec 2 (IANS/EFE) Spanish and Thai authorities mounted a joint operation to dismantle a cell that produced false travel documents for groups linked to Al Qaeda, officials said here Wednesday.

Seven people were arrested in Barcelona and three others in Thailand, the Spanish interior ministry said.

The group stole passports and other travel documents from tourists in Barcelona, selecting targets based on age and nationality in response to requests from the self-styled Global Islamic Front.

The stolen credentials were sent to Thailand for modification and then delivered to militant outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba in India.

LeT is blamed for the November 2008 terrorist rampage that left 166 people dead in Mumbai, India.

Six Pakistanis and a Nigerian were taken into custody in Barcelona, while police in Bangkok arrested two other Pakistanis and a Thai national, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The criminal operation was directed from the Thai capital by one of the Pakistanis, authorities said.

Police also seized stolen passports, a computer, hard drives, 50 cell phones and accompanying SIM cards, among other items.

The group operated in other European cities in addition to Barcelona.

The dismantling of the cell represents “a significant obstacle for Al Qaeda’s logistics and a major reverse for its forgery apparatus”, a senior Spanish police officer told EFE.

–IANS/EFE