Greece to deport terrorist suspect to Belgium

Greek police announced on Monday a 33-year-old Algerian national, who was arrested on Sunday in Athens on charges of planning terrorist activity in Belgium, will be deported to Brussels.

The 33-year-old was arrested in execution of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Belgian authorities with the charges of terrorist activity in Belgium.

The suspect "was spotted on Jan. 17 after request for assistance from the Belgian authorities to the Greek police, which was sent the previous days, in the context of the relevant judicial investigation," a press release issued by the Greek Public Order Ministry said.

The arrested will appear before a Greek prosecutor later on Monday, according to the statement.

Greek officials did not elaborate on the charges against him.

Greek media, citing police sources, had reported during the weekend that a total of four suspects had been detained during an ongoing investigation for links to the jihadist cell, who attempted to launch a terrorist attack in Belgium last week.

Greek officials did not confirm scenarios that among the detained was the cell's "mastermind" Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the 27-year-old Belgian of Moroccan origin who is believed that he funded the jihadists who were killed during the counter-terror raid in Verviers on Thursday evening.

Photos, fingerprints and data from telephone communications of the suspects were forwarded to Belgian authorities during the weekend.

According to Belgian media reports, Abaaoud was traced to Greece or Turkey through phone calls he made a few weeks ago to a prisoner in Belgium. Endit