French police detains top ETA member Iñaki Dominguez

French police detains top ETA member Iñaki Dominguez

2011-06-18 07:17:05 GMT+7 (ICT)

PARIS (BNO NEWS) -- French police on Friday announced that Iñaki Dominguez, a suspected top member of ETA, was arrested while travelling on a train in Modane of Savoie department, near the Italian border, the El Mundo newspaper reported.

Dominguez Atxalandabaso, 35, departed from Milan and was on his way to Paris when he was detained. He is wanted as part of an investigation into the suspected links between the Basque separatist group ETA and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The suspected terrorist was carrying false ID documents, diverse electronic devices and storage devices. French and Spanish authorities believe that ETA is moving its activities to the north in order to escape from the increasing pressure from Spanish police.

Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba confirmed the arrest and said that the investigation was being led by the counterterrorism wing of the Spanish police (SDAT).

"The Spanish government will continue with the same anti-terrorism policy, ETA is still out there and we will continue stopping its plots," added Minister Perez. "Nothing good was Dominguez planning to do with the items he was carrying."

Dominguez allegedly instructed FARC members in the use of explosives in Colombia around 2007. In 2003, he fled to Venezuela to avoid being imprisoned over terrorism charges. A Spanish court issued an arrest warrant against him in 2005.

The ETA member was one of the most wanted terrorists on the Spanish Interior Ministry list. Terrorism charges were brought against him and five others in March 2010. He has also to serve one and a half years in prison for a July 2001 attack in Gernika in which one person was killed.

On January 10, The Basque separatist group ETA announced a permanent ceasefire to the armed conflict as part of its commitment to reach a definitive solution. Spain refused to engage in a dialogue with ETA as the group had broken two similar agreements in the past and did not trust the organization anymore.

The ceasefire was announced to allow the ETA political wing Batasuna to participate again in the political process. Batasuna later launched a new leftist political party that allegedly had no ties with ETA.

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