Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

2012 Terrorist Incidents: No terrorist attacks occurred in Spain in 2012. Nonetheless, two
Spanish citizens working with NGO Doctors without Borders kidnapped by al-Shabaab terrorist
in Kenya in 2011 remained in captivity at year’s end, and the Spanish government was working
with local authorities to ensure their safe release. Two Spaniards and an Italian who were
kidnapped in Algeria in 2011 by the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, an
organization closely linked to AQIM, were released on July 18, 2012.
Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: Spain continued to focus on improved
security and the detection of false documents at its borders in 2012. Spain participated in the
U.S. Immigration Advisory Program, which maintained staff at Madrid-Barajas International
Airport. The program allowed coordination between Customs and Border Protection officers,
airline security personnel, and police regarding high risk passengers traveling to the United
States. Spain continued to roll out an automated system to read EU passports with biometric
data. Explosive trace detection equipment was also deployed at Spain's five largest airports at
passenger checkpoints. Spanish Airports and Civil Guard participated in an EU-coordinated
Liquids and Gels (LAGs) pilot program to test LAGs explosive detection equipment and work
toward the development of implementation metrics. Spain continued to utilize a network of radar
stations, known as the Integrated External Surveillance System, along its maritime borders.
Spain maintained its participation in the Megaports and Container Security Initiatives. In
September, the Civil Guard began integrating Europol information in its fight against terrorism
and organized crime. Previously, only the Spanish National Police had access to the Europol
data.
As of December, Spanish security forces had arrested a total of five people accused of terrorist
ties in 2012:
On June 26, Spanish National Police in the North African Spanish enclave of Melilla
arrested Spanish citizens Rachid Abdellah Mohamed and Nabil Mohamed Chaib, leaders
of a violent extremist cell with international connections dedicated to recruiting young
Muslims for training in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
On August 2, in cooperation with international security services, Spanish National Police
arrested three suspected AQ activists, Eldar Magomedov, alias “Muslim Dost;”
Muhamed Ankari Adamov, a Russian citizen of Chechen origin; and Turkish facilitator
Cengiz Yalzin in the largest operation against violent Islamist extremism in Spain in
recent years.
In cooperation with international partners, security services also arrested 25 alleged ETA
members or associates, including 16 in France and six in other countries. Key raids included:
On June 28 in London, British Security Forces arrested ETA members Antonio Troitiño
Arranz and Ignacio Lerín Sánchez, two of Spain’s most wanted terrorists. Troitiño, alias
“Antxon,” was responsible for 22 murders and had direct connections with ETA’s
current leadership.
On July 4, a joint investigation between the Spanish Civil Guard and the French
Information Services led to the arrest of Juan María Múgica Dorronsoro, the fourth
member of an ETA cell that attempted to assassinate former President José María Aznar
in 2001.
94