The Guardia Civil arrests a person linked to Daesh in Barcelona
The Guardia Civil has arrested an individual in Barcelona for allegedly belonging to the Daesh terrorist organisation. This operation began last year, when the agents detected a person who was becoming radicalised and using encrypted instant messaging platforms to show his active support for the terrorist organisation, as reported by the Spanish security forces in a press release.
The detainee disseminated and translated abundant jihadist content on terrorist activities carried out in different scenarios, as well as material suitable for the manufacture of explosives in his profiles.
The agents have been able to prove that the activities he carried out on his profiles were planned in a coherent and coordinated manner with a clear objective to gain followers and achieve real and effective support for the terrorist group, seeking greater dissemination by making many of these publications.
#OperacionesGC | Detenida en #Barcelona una persona por su relación con la organización terrorista DAESH.
— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) March 26, 2024
➡️Difundía y traducía contenido yihadista y material idóneo para fabricar explosivos
➡️La cooperación nacional e internacional ha sido fundamental
🔗https://t.co/8LCAO2nQuG pic.twitter.com/GaKIv1n3zs
In addition, it has been observed that the arrested person maintained strict security measures in his communications through tools that allowed him to be anonymous on the network and to operate clandestinely. In this regard, the use of cryptocurrencies has also been detected, so it has not been ruled out that he was linked to terrorist financing activities.
The Guardia Civil discovered international connections between this person and other sympathisers of the jihadist cause in other countries on different continents to provide them with training and terrorist training. "It is worth highlighting the connections with jihadists recently arrested in both Canada and Sweden," the press release notes.
Daesh propaganda activity
Generally, the propaganda activity spread on the internet and social networks by terrorist groups is the basis for maintaining terrorist tension in the West.
In fact, it is one of the main strengths of the different current jihadist terrorist organisations, both for disseminating their radical ideology and for recruiting new followers and publicising their actions.
This operation has been developed thanks to collaboration and cooperation at both the national and international level. In Spain, there has been active collaboration with the National Intelligence Centre, while abroad there has been joint work with the Swedish Security Service (SÄPO), the French Directorate-General for Internal Security (DGSI) and the European Union Agency for Police Cooperation, EUROPOL.
Following the arrest and the search of the arrested man's home, the authorities are continuing investigations that may shed light on his involvement in possible international terrorist plots.
The detainee was brought before the courts on Tuesday 19 March and was placed in pre-trial detention.
Anti-terrorist Alert Level 4
As indicated in the press release, since the elevation to level 4 of the Anti-Terrorist Alert on 26 June 2015, the Guardia Civil has stepped up all investigations related to this type of activities carried out in cyberspace, which clearly support the propaganda, recruitment and financing structures on which terrorist groups depend.
The investigation has been led by the Guardia Civil's Information Service under the direction of the Juzgado Central de Instrucción nº4 and the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Audiencia Nacional, with the participation of the Rapid Action Group (GAR), the Cinological Service and the SEDEX.
