Jihadists on the move

FORTY-SIX jihadists were detected during last summer’s Operation Strait Crossing.
The Strait Crossing began this year on July 12 and ended on September 16 as 1.7 million North Africans living and working in Europe travelled home in 372,000 vehicles.

The annual exodus and influx was monitored by Operacion Minerva, a parallel operation by Spain’s Policia Nacional in collaboration with the European Frontier and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) stationed in Algeciras, Tarifa and Ceuta.

None of the 46 suspected jihadists were detained as no arrest warrants had been issued against them although anti-terrorist sources explained that special surveillance measures were adopted in some cases.

The two-month operation also detected 220 undetected migrants, recovered 21 stolen vehicles, confiscated 1.6 kilos of drugs as well as weapons and resulted in 480 arrests.
Another surveillance operation, Neptune II, inspected passengers on ships, ferries and cruise liners arriving this summer at seven western Mediterranean ports including Alicante and Motril (Granada).

Twelve more suspects were identified, including nine who were heading for Spain.