An Italo-Moroccan accused of
belonging to the Islamic State (ISIS) Islamist terror group was
arrested in Turin on Wednesday and police said he had been
planning to use trucks for attacks and seeking 'lone wolves' to
carry them out.
Elmahdi Halili, 23, the author of the first ISIS propaganda
message in Italian, was captured at the end of a probe by
anti-terrorism police in the northwestern Italian city.
At the moment of his arrest, Halili reportedly shouted
"Tyrants! I'm going to prison with my head held high".
Turin Police Chief Francesco Messina said "he is a very
motivated individual, with no intention of repenting".
Messina said "we had to act immediately to eliminate this
threat: Halili could have carried out attacks".
"He had moved from self-indoctrination to trying to contact
others, 'lone wolves', who could carry out terrorist actions,
and he was weighing how to use knives and how to prepare trucks
for attacks," Messina said.
In some cases he met these lone wolves, Messina said, who
were Italians converted to Islam, Ghanaians and Moroccans, often
already known to police for other crimes.
The head of the DIGOS special security police, Carlo Ambra,
said "it was time to intervene.
"We couldn't afford to let him identify a target to strike.
"There was a need to act immediately".
Halili was already arrested in Brescia in 2015 and
plea-bargained a term of two years for apology of terrorism,
police said.
The probe, codenamed Balkan Connection, identified people
able to enlist fighters for ISIS.
These included the Brescian foreign fighter Anas
El Abboubi who was arrested and then released by a parole court
and went to fight in Syria.
He is believed to have died.
Police on Wednesday carried out searches across northern
Italy - in Milan, Modena, Bergamo and Reggio Emilia - and also
in Naples against individuals suspected of links to extremist
Islamist circles, police said.
A number of Italians who have converted to Islam are also
involved in the probe, as well as citizens of foreign origin,
police said.
Charges against them include waging a campaign of
radicalization and proselytism via the Interet, judicial sources
said.
On Tuesday in Foggia an Italo-Egyptian was arrested on
charges of teaching children to kill for jihad.
In an interview with La Stampa newspaper, caretaker INterior
Minister Marco Minniti said "The picture of the ISIS threat
remains unchanged.
"May the new government continue with the deportation of
those who have been radicalised".
photo: Turin prosecutors' office
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