6 Pak nationals held in Spain for ‘forging’ papers for Lashkar

The arrests in Spain came in raids in and around Barcelona late Tuesday. The gang stole documents,including passports,which were sent to Thailand to be forged and then delivered to “terrorist groups,” in particular the Lashkar,which carried out the 26/11 attack.

The gang also supplied the LTTE,the statement said.

“The international structure was led by a Pakistani citizen living in Thailand…,who directed the cells based in Europe,decided the features of the passports to obtain and,which once they were received in Bangkok,supplied them to different terrorist groups,” the statement said.

It said the operation had “neutralised a vast cell” involved in providing passports for Al-Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates. The operation,carried out along with the police of Thailand and European countries,is continuing,the ministry said.

Last August,Spanish police arrested a Moroccan man suspected of recruiting Islamic extremists and raising funds for terror groups. In September,Barcelona police detained a US citizen suspected of raising funds for Al-Qaeda.