An Islamic convert who spent nearly a decade in prison after becoming the only Spaniard to be convicted over the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, has been arrested over his alleged links to ISIS.
The 52-year-old, believed to be convicted Al Qaeda terrorist Luis Jose Galan Gonzalez, was held in Madrid on suspicion of ‘recruiting, indoctrinating and training’ new ISIS members.
Spain’s Interior Ministry did not name him in a statement confirming the detention and claiming he had encouraged others to commit terrorist acts.
But they made his identity clear by describing him as ‘the first person convicted in Spain over the terror attacks in New York on September 11’ and revealing he had left prison in May 2011 after ‘spending more than nine years in prison for membership or integration in a terrorist organisation and illegal possession of firearms.’
A 52-year-old, believed to be convicted Al Qaeda terrorist Luis Jose Galan Gonzalez (pictured), was held in Madrid on suspicion of ‘recruiting, indoctrinating and training’ new ISIS members
Spain ‘s Interior Ministry did not name him in a statement confirming the detention and claiming he had encouraged others to commit terrorist acts. He is pictured being arrested in Madrid today
Madrid-born Gonzalez was interviewed by a local paper in Murcia, south east Spain, after leaving jail on May 9 2011 following nine and a half years behind bars for belonging to a terrorist organisation and illegally possessing weapons.
The convicted terrorist, 46 at the time and calling himself Yusuf Galan, was described then as the only Spaniard convicted over the Twin Towers attacks.
He told one newspaper after leaving prison: ‘I’m a criminal because judges and police wanted me to be.
‘Jail has given me back my confidence in human beings and what I have now is a commitment to justice and peace.’
The Interior Ministry said the suspect they had held had developed a ‘sophisticated modus operandi’ to try to disseminate information on the Internet without being caught.
A spokesman said in a statement, where he referred to ISIS by its acronym DAESH: ‘He collected an important amount of material which he housed simultaneously in several profiles or in instant messaging transmissions so he could reach the greatest number of people.
Madrid-born Gonzalez was interviewed by a local paper in Murcia, south east Spain, after leaving jail on May 9 2011 following nine and a half years behind bars for belonging to a terrorist organisation and illegally possessing weapons. He is pictured here in 2005
Spanish police made his identity clear by describing him as ‘the first person convicted in Spain over the terror attacks in New York on September 11’ (pictured)
‘He used the sort of language which is normal in these forums, commenting, linking and sharing content as part of DAESH’s global strategy of using the Internet as a means of transmitting terrorist ideological values.
‘Along with this ideological indoctrination, another fundamental pillar in his criminal strategy was to carry out operative training in combat techniques of other people.
‘To do that he published videos in which he appeared using knives with great skill, alongside highly explicit messages, directed towards the commission of terrorist acts.
‘He specifically focused on the psychological preparation of new recruits, who he prepared mentally so they would finally show their willing to commit terrorist acts.’
Galan was one of 11 people arrested in November 2001 in connection with the New York attacks in an operation dubbed Datil – Date in Spanish.
He was accused of belonging to Al Qaeda’s Spanish network and travelling to Indonesia to receive military training.
He was involved with far-left Basque nationalist political party Herri Batasuna before embracing Islam.