Jihadi group arrested in Ceuta posed ‘real threat’, Spanish police say

Six members of an alleged jihadist group who posed “a real threat” to security were arrested by Spanish police in a joint operation with Moroccan law enforcement agencies and supported by Europol.

Spanish Policia Nacional officers arrested four of the men in Ceuta, one in Ibiza and another in Madrid.

In parallel, officers from Morocco’s Direction General de la Surveillance du Territoire [DGST] arrested another three people in Fnideq, the closest Moroccan city to Ceuta.

“The detainees, some of whom were repeat offenders, were fully aligned with the terrorist organisation DAESH [a reference to the so-called Islamic State],” the Policia Nacional said.

“They consumed and shared content from both its official and unofficial channels, much of which was extremely graphic and violent.”

The investigation began in mid-2023 when agents identified a group of “highly radicalised” individuals who were allegedly using social media to view and share pro-jihadist content.

The individuals were monitored and found to be engaging in “…belligerent jihadist activities, including issuing direct threats to Western populations and the Jewish community and inciting violent actions.”

Officers involved in the operation also detected that members of the group intended to travel to conflict zones in Africa controlled by factions of terrorist organisations.

The cooperation between Spanish police and Morocco’s DGST was described as “crucial” to the success of the operation, enabling the dismantling of a group operating along the Ceuta-Fnideq axis.

“This structure included highly radicalised individuals aligned with the ideologies of the DAESH terrorist organisation, who were intent on carrying out violent actions,” the Policia Nacional statement added.

“As a result, agents believe they have neutralised a real threat to the security of both countries.”

The six arrested persons appeared this week before the Audiencia Nacional, which ordered them to be remanded in custody.

The operation included cooperation from Policia Nacional intelligence officers in Ceuta, Algeciras, Ibiza, Malaga, Segovia and Madrid, as well as from Moroccan authorities and Europol.