Police arrest Isis recruiter who was planning attacks in Spain

The man, who is Moroccan, was arrested early on Tuesday morning in Palma de Mallorca, where he was a resident.  

The man was arrested “for his links with the organization Daesh” (another name for Isis) Spain’s Interior Ministry confirmed in a statement released on Tuesday morning.

“The detainee poses a clear threat to national security since he tried, both online and in person, to convince vulnerable targets (to fight for Isis),” the Interior Ministry said.

The man “sent out a strong radicalizing message aimed at attracting new candidates for the Syrian and Iraqi jihad” and “promoted, encouraged and facilitated” their trip to the conflict zone for “further integration into the ranks of Isis”. 

Troublingly for Spain, the man also worked with “smaller groups, a more selected audience”, directing his efforts to plan terrorist attacks “in Spain and other European countries”. 

The man had links with Isis commanders in Syria, who charged him with delivering new recruits to the conflict zone as well as “giving instructions and resources to carry out some kind of terror attack in our country or another in Europe”, the Interior Ministry confirmed. 

The man is only the latest in a string of arrests related to Isis in Spain.

A Moroccan man and his Spanish girlfriend were arrested in the port city of Algeciras, southern Spain on Saturday for having “links to Isis”. The couple, who live in Granada, were arrested as they attempted to leave Spain for Morocco with their child. 

In early March, Spanish police seized 20,000 uniforms destined for Isis, while teachers in Catalonia have been given guidelines on how to spot jihadists in the classroom.