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1st LD Writethru: Suspected foreign fighter arrested in Slovenia: Italian interior ministry

Xinhua, May 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

A Slovenian national suspected to be a foreign fighter has been arrested in an operation conducted by Carabinieri, the Italian military police force, a statement from the interior ministry said on Monday.

The 26-year-old man was allegedly "responsible for recruiting aspiring international terrorists and for radicalizing and recruiting aspiring jihadists on Italian territory," Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said in the statement.

Identified as Rok Zavbi, the man was apprehended by Slovenian police based on a European arrest warrant on Friday by Slovenian police, according to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

The next day, he was brought before an investigating judge at the Ljubljana District Court, who remanded him in custody, STA reported. Zavbi's lawyer Lara Mikuz reportedly said she had appealed against the decision.

Citing police data, the STA said Zavbi is not subject to any investigation on suspicion of terrorism in Slovenia.

The Slovenian police also stressed that it has "in the recent period not obtained relevant data suggesting any such criminal activity being committed or prepared on Slovenian territory."

In Italy, Alfano highlighted that the operation was carried out by Carabinieri in collaboration with Slovenian police, and was "another confirmation that the Italian system of security and prevention is working well."

According to Rai state television, the suspect was arrested in Slovenia under the coordination of procurators in Venice, in northern Italy.

During the investigation, which started last year, a 28-year-old Macedonian was also expelled from Italy and a 37-year-old Italian was arrested.

Monday's arrest came days after police in northern Italy detained six suspected extremists, including a couple with two children, who allegedly wanted to join militancy in Syria and Iraq.

Italy has toughened anti-terrorism measures and expelled dozens of suspects following the deadly attacks in Paris and Brussels.

Based on a recently introduced law, those found guilty of trying to go abroad to join the Islamic State (IS) or recruiting other foreign fighters face a sentence of up to eight years in jail which increases to up to 10 years for those who train in Italy with the goal of carrying out terror attacks. Enditem