Alleged Hamas cell dismantled in Cyprus and Greece – Palestinian arrests
Authorities in Cyprus and Greece are investigating a network with links to Hamas following the arrest of five Palestinians in Cyprus and a 37-year-old man in Crete.
Alleged Hamas cell dismantled in Cyprus and Greece – Palestinian arrests
Authorities in Cyprus and Greece are investigating a network with links to Hamas following the arrest of five Palestinians in Cyprus and a 37-year-old man in Crete.
The operation, codenamed "Odin", was conducted by Greece's National Intelligence Service and counter-terrorism police. The 37-year-old arrested in Crete is alleged to have travelled to Malaysia for training in the construction of explosives using commercial chemical products.
According to information cited by the newspaper Phileleftheros, the suspect admitted during questioning that he maintained contact with individuals who had been arrested in Cyprus and that he participated in activities aimed at attacking Israeli targets in a European country. Authorities have not announced a specific target and note that the alleged plan was still at a preliminary stage.
Investigators believe that the Crete suspect was trained at the same camp in Malaysia as at least two of the Palestinians arrested in Cyprus. The shared training programme forms one of the main links between the two investigations.
In Cyprus, the investigation began in May following operations that led to the arrest of four Palestinians. Two of the suspects, aged 32 and 38, are alleged to have played central roles in the alleged network, whilst two others, aged 54 and 57, are suspected of acting as accomplices. The 32-year-old, who lived with his wife and child in a flat in the Kamares area of Larnaca, is alleged to have told interrogators that the group was preparing attacks against Israeli targets in Cyprus. The older couple is alleged to have lived in Cyprus for many years and to hold Cypriot nationality.
Police report that searches of properties connected to the suspects uncovered significant quantities of materials that could potentially be used for the construction of explosives. Substances such as ammonium nitrate were found in properties in the Governor's Beach area and in Larnaca, whilst laboratory examinations are ongoing.
One of the suspects is alleged to have been living illegally in Cyprus following entry from the occupied territories, whilst authorities are investigating whether additional individuals on the island had knowledge of or were involved in the alleged activities.
Source: Cyprus Mail
Source: Cyprus Mail