Three Moroccans arrested on terrorism charges in southern Italy

CATANZARO, ITALY: Three Moroccans on Monday were arrested for alleged involvement in training terrorists in southern Italy, the ANSA news agency reported.

Three citizens of Morocco, including a Muslim cleric, were arrested in the southern Calabria region. Italian police said that the men are suspected of training recruits for international terrorist organizations.

The arrests stemmed from an operation executed by Digos security police and Italy's postal police in the southern Calabria region. Nine residences were searched during the complex probe.

Police officers arrested a Muslim cleric and his son at their home. He was identified as the imam of Sellia Marina, a small Ionian coast town between Catanzaro and Crotone.

The third detainee was arrested at the Moroccan community of Lamezia Terme near the Tyrrhenian coast of southern Calabria. A fourth man was arrested after he was found on his home with possession of marijuana but he was not involved on the training.

The three men allegedly used the Internet to received and send documents about training on weapons and explosives. Furthermore, the suspects sent software capable of sabotaging computer systems.

Italian police did not disclose additional details of the responsibilities of each man within the training. The name of the terrorist organization was not disclosed as well.

(BNO NEWS )