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Two Spanish police officers (1) warned the jihadi group that was arrested last month by Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra that they were under surveillance by the Catalan police. They did so through some of their informers, prompting three of the militants to flee, although they were later apprehended in Bulgaria as they were trying to get to Syria.



Undercover officer in danger



The fact that the officers alerted the group that was being watched by the Mossos also meant that an undercover Catalan officer posing as a jihadi saw his cover blown while he was gathering information from within the cell.



The Catalan police reported the incident to judge Santiago Pedraz in Madrid’s Audiencia Nacional (2), who summoned and questioned both officers. Following this, the judge decided not to go ahead with the separate enquiry that he had opened.



Nevertheless, the police operation progressed and in April the Mossos were finally able to arrest the remaining members of the alleged terrorist cell. At that point some of the detainees admitted that they had received a warning. With this new information, therefore, the judge might re-open the enquiry. For now, though, he is keeping all details of the proceedings firmly under wraps.

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(1) N.T. Several police forces operate in Catalonia, including Spain’s Policía Nacional and Catalonia’s own police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra. The latter is tasked with law enforcement in nearly every area, including terrorism, as is the Spanish police. This makes a close liaison between both forces desirable but not always easy, particularly when relations are strained between Madrid and Barcelona.

(2) N.T. Spain’s Audiencia Nacional is a Madrid-based special court of law that deals with major organised crime, such as terrorism.