08/04/2004 00:00
TW
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Staff reporter ANTI-TERRORIST police yesterday stepped up their investigation into the activities of wanted Islamic terrorist Jamal Ahmidan in Palma and Ibiza the week before the March 11, Madrid bombings. Police have traced the 30 kilos of hashish exchanged for the explosives used in the M-11 massacre to drugs deals carried out by Ahmidan on Palma and Ibiza. Ahmidan, alias “El Chino” was second in command of the Islamic terrorist cell which attacked the Madrid commuter trains and tried to blow up Spain's high-speed train the AVE. Anti-terrorist police now want to locate the dealers who sold the drugs and also establish whether or nor the terrorist cell has any local contacts, either in Palma or Ibiza. The police also want to establish whether El Chino travelled to the Balearics alone from Madrid, or was accompanied by any other members of the terrorist group. Police are busy retracing Ahmidan's movements, based on information gleaned from his mobile telephone records. Police have apparently managed to collate a great deal of evidence about El Chino's movements in the Balearics, but for the time being, are keeping their investigations secret.


On April 16, two years ago, it was revealed that the treasurer for Spain's al Qaeda cell involved in the September 11 attacks, had apparently been laundering money for the terrorist group through his Palma yachting company. Before moving to Barcelona where he was arrested, Ahmed Brahim lived in a Paseo Maritimo apartment, which he sold along with two yachts in Palma just two months before S-11. He is still being held in custody while his Palma lawyer denies any connection with Al Qaeda and continues the fight for Brahim's release.