The Spanish Civil Guard announced on Tuesday the arrest of a man suspected of carrying out "intense propaganda activity" in favor of Islamic State terrorism and with links to an international network of jihadists.
The suspect was arrested in Barcelona, according to the Civil Guard, which in its statement, collected by AFP, stated that he had "important connections" with others people of the same profile "in Asia, Europe, and North America."
The security body began investigating him last year after realizing that he used "encrypted instant messaging platforms to show his active support for the terrorist organization DAESH," an acronym for the Islamic State in Arabic.
Through its online profiles "it disseminated and translated abundant jihadist content on terrorist activities carried out in different scenarios, and suitable material for the manufacture of explosives," the statement continued.
The suspect observed "strict security measures in his communications" using "tools" that allowed him anonymity, and was in contact with other jihadist sympathizers abroad "to provide them with terrorist training," the text noted.
Investigators found that he used cryptocurrencies, so they do not rule out that he participated in "terrorist financing activities."
The detainee appeared before a Spanish court on March 19 and remains in custody. Police in Canada and Sweden arrested several of his contacts, according to the statement from Spanish security forces. The police operation was carried out with the collaboration of the Spanish intelligence agency CNI, its Swedish and French counterparts and the European police agency Europol.
