17 people were arrest warrants and 13 were arrested in Italy, the UK, Norway, Finland and Switzerland as part of a complex investigation initiated five years ago by prosecutors in Rome against the "international association with terrorist aims"
Italian police dismantled a Jihadist network operating across Europe accused of masterminding the kidnapping of diplomats in exchange for the release of the "Mullah Krekar," their religious leader, arrested in Norway on Thursday.
"It's been one of the operations most important police have been made in Europe in the last 20 years," he said in a press conference the general Giuseppe Governale, head of the Special Operations Group (ROS) of the police in Italy.
According to the researchers, all detainees are disciples of Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad, called "Mullah Krekar," an Iraqi Kurd fundamentalist preacher 59 installed in Norway since 1991.
"A cell with branches in Italy, UK, Norway, Finland, Switzerland and Germany was dismantled," said Governale.