The Moroccan-dominated al-Qa’eda cells responsible for terrorist attacks in Spain were funded by bank robberies and sophisticated cashpoint machine fraud in France, investigators believe. Security officials suspect that the Moroccan-dominated cells based in Spain were sent hundreds of thousands of pounds by fellow extremists on the French side of the border, suggesting the al-Qa’eda bombings in Madrid last month were the result of international planning. Last week, French police arrested Moustapha Baouchi, a Moroccan veteran of al-Qa’eda training camps in Afghanistan, where he was known for his electronics expertise. Baouchi was able to forge bank cards with information gathered using micro-cameras implanted in automatic teller machines, said one European intelligence official. The duplicate cards were then used to withdraw money.
| That's rather sophisticated. Perhaps the French can hang on to him for a while? |
As well as cloning cards, Baouchi’s gang staged bank robberies in France. His brother Hassan, who was also among the six "hardcore" al-Qa’eda suspects arrested in Paris, was a security guard for a bank. One delivery of cash that he was supposed to be guarding went missing early last month after the vehicle was held up by six men. The amount of money seized has not been revealed. |