In an operation considered among the most significant in recent years, four individuals were arrested this Thursday in seven simultaneous raids carried out in Mar del Plata and the City of Buenos Aires. The arrests are part of a federal investigation that revealed the existence of an organization dedicated to facilitating illegal immigration to Argentina for citizens from Syria, Tunisia, Morocco and other regions of the Middle East.
The case took on an even more sensitive dimension after the National Directorate of Criminal Intelligence Criminal informed the judiciary that one of the individuals brought into the country by this network could have links to the terrorist group Al Qaeda. Although this lead remains under analysis, judicial sources confirmed to the media that the line of investigation is active.
The detainees and the seized arsenal
Among those arrested are a woman of Syrian nationality, a Tunisian citizen, a Moroccan, and an Argentine who allegedly acted as a local facilitator. During the raids conducted by the Naval Prefecture, nine firearms were seized—including a Walther .22 caliber submachine gun—along with nearly 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) of gunpowder for ammunition reloading and more than two thousand rounds. In addition, abundant documentation was seized, which will be analyzed to reconstruct the complete criminal scheme.
The four suspects will be questioned this Friday by federal judge Santiago Inchausti. The investigation involves prosecutor Santiago Marquevich—head of UFECO—, federal prosecutor Santiago Eyherabide, and the Office for Trafficking and Exploitation (PROTEX), represented by Alejandra Mangano.
