ITALY: Italian investigators were reluctant yesterday to speculate about possible links between five Moroccans arrested near Rovigo, northern Italy, on Wednesday and possible terrorist attacks on UK targets. During a raid on the deserted farmhouse where the men were living, police found not only one kilo of C4 plastic explosive but also maps showing details of a NATO base in the Veneto region, of churches in Padua, Verona and Treviso, of embassies in Rome and, lastly, of the London Underground.
Two of the five arrested, Mr Reduane Bnoughazi (36) and Mr Amro Lahrajh (28), were yesterday interrogated but both denied any knowledge of the explosives. Furthermore the men also claimed that the maps found in their abode were necessary for finding their way about in cities unfamiliar to them. Only two of the five arrested were questioned yesterday since the other three do not speak Italian.
All five men, who deny any links with terrorism, were arrested during a routine search for illegal immigrants early on Wednesday morning. Although all had legal residence documents, police became suspicious when one of them, Mr Bnoughazi, became agitated and abusive. On further investigation, the C4 explosive was found hidden in a sock in a linen basket.
The presence of C4, a powerful military explosive similar to that used in the Bali bombing last October, would suggest preparations for some form of terrorist activity. Italian experts believe, however, that if any attack was being prepared, it was unlikely to have been sophisticated.
Furthermore, they argue that the most likely targets would have been those in Italy, such as the NATO base in Veneto, rather than sites in London, especially since the NATO map was reasonably detailed. Further suspicions were prompted by the fact that one of them, Amro Lahrajh, was charged last year with possession of a pistol from which the serial number had been removed.
Italian security forces have been engaged in a systematic crackdown on Islamic terrorist cells, leading to the arrest of 121 people.
Speaking earlier this week, the Interior Minister, Mr Giuseppe Pisanu, said he believes Italy is an important base for Islamic terrorism: "We have struck some serious blows against Islamic terrorism [in Italy] but it still remains strong. It is well connected to al-Qaeda or to some similar European or intercontinental network".