Spain dismantles ‘Daesh’ terror ring operating in prisons

THE Guardia Civil has dismantled a group linked to Daesh in Spanish jails, accused of indoctrinating and radicalising other prisoners.
As part of their investigation and in close collaboration with the General Secretariat, officers identified 25 inmates across 17 prisons that allegedly were operating in this way.
The court of instruction and the Prosecutors office of the National Court were also involved, as evidence was gathered against individuals’ activity in the prisons.
Many of the accused had criminal records of jihadist terrorism, but others were simply common prisoners who had become radicalised in prison.
Among them were several converted Spanish nationals, or in the process of being converted.
Control and monitoring mechanisms as part of prison regulations have been key to the detection and neutralisation of the group.
In order to successfully indoctrinate and recruit their targets, the group would socialise with inmates, those who were not subjected to special surveillance were particularly important.
The Daesh-linked cell not only sought to indoctrinate people for jihadist purposes, but to build a terrorist movement across prisons.
This is the first targeted and co-ordinated operation in Europe against Daesh-inspired activity developing in prisons.
Since raising the terrorist threat to level 4 on June 26, 2015, the Guardia Civil has intensified investigations into jihadist-inspired activity in Spain.