Police in the Spanish city of Malaga have arrested a person suspected of being involved in the 16 October terrorist attack in Brussels. An international arrest warrant had been issued against the man by the Belgian court. He is suspected of drug trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation.
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Spanish police detain suspect in connection with Brussels terror attack
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According to Spanish police, the man and Abdesalem Lassoued, the perpetrator of the terrorist attack, were jointly involved in "activities linked to organised crime." It is not yet clear to what extent the man was also be involved in the terrorist attack.
The man was arrested in Benahavís, a municipality in the Spanish province of Malaga. He was hiding there under a false identity and using false documents. Police officers searched his home and seized documents, electronic equipment and a significant amount of money. In a statement the Spanish police said that "Detectives are examining all this material to determine exactly what connection the two have to each other".
The investigation is being conducted by detectives from Spain’s Comisaría General de Información, and the Policia Nacional’s provincial brigades from Madrid and Malaga. The investigation is being led by the public prosecutor's office at the Audiencia Nacional, the national court responsible for the most serious crimes in Spain. The suspect appeared before a Spanish examining magistrate earlier on Friday. The examining magistrate took the decision to formally arrest the suspect.
The terrorist attack on October 16 on the Saincteletteplein in the centre of Brussels left two Swedish football supporters dead and a third football fan seriously injured. The man that carried out the attack Abdesalem Lassoued, was shot by the police the next morning and died of his injuries on the way to hospital.