Police arrest two alleged terror plotters
The Hellenic Police said Tuesday that in a coordinated operation with the country’s National Intelligence Service (EYP), they had “dismantled a terrorist network that, guided from abroad, was planning attacks against carefully selected targets within Greece.”
The police and EYP were assisted by Israel’s national intelligence agency, Mossad, a statement released Tuesday evening by the office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Greek police further said they had arrested two individuals, identified by government officials speaking on condition of anonymity to multiple media sources as of Pakistani origin.
A third individual, whom the police called the “brains” of the network, is active abroad.
Data seized on the arrested individuals as well as “digital information” revealed that the two “had already chosen a target of special significance; had cased the location and designed the attack; had received final instructions for carrying out the strike; and had been directed to [recruit] other people for the best possible execution of their mission,” the police statement said.
“The affair that was uncovered today in Greece is a severe case that was successfully thwarted by the Greek security forces. It was an additional attempt by Iran to perpetrate terrorism against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad,” said the statement from Netanyahu’s office.
“After the start of the investigation into the suspects in Greece, Mossad rendered intelligence assistance in unraveling the infrastructure, its work methods and the link to Iran. The investigation revealed that the infrastructure that operated in Greece is part of an extensive Iranian network run from Iran and spanning many countries,” the statement added.
The two Pakistanis will face prosecutors Friday, authorities said.
