Greek authorities announced Sunday that they had uncovered an alleged terrorist cell, arresting a 37-year-old Palestinian man on the island of Crete as part of the investigation. Police in Athens said he was accused of membership in Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and Greece, and of planning terrorist attacks.
According to reports in the Greek media, the central suspicion is that the detainee intended to attack an Israeli cruise ship operated by Mano Maritime, which is scheduled to arrive in Crete this coming Tuesday.
Surveillance and the link to the terror infrastructure in Cyprus
The suspect, who arrived in Greece and was granted political asylum there, was arrested Saturday night in Crete, where he had recently been working as a seasonal employee at a hotel in Agios Nikolaos. Local media outlets reported that cruise ships carrying Israeli tourists often dock at that location. After indications and intelligence information emerged regarding his possible membership in Hamas, he was placed under close surveillance by security forces for several days until his arrest.
Details from the investigation indicate that the suspect is directly linked to two other Palestinians who were recently arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of terrorism-related activity. Police said that, according to investigators, the three were part of a shared infrastructure and had undergone Hamas training together in handling and using explosives.
Greek state broadcaster ERT revealed further dramatic details, reporting that the suspect had previously rented an apartment in central Athens. In a police raid on the apartment, security forces discovered complex laboratory equipment and various chemical substances, which are suspected of having been intended for the preparation of a bomb and explosive devices for the planned attack.
Gaza resident who received "training" in Malaysia
The detainee, originally a resident of Gaza, is married and the father of three children. He underwent training by Hamas in the preparation of explosives while living in Gaza. He recently traveled to Malaysia with one of the four detainees arrested in Cyprus, where he received further training in making explosives. During searches of the suspect's apartment in Athens, police found liquid-filling devices, precision scales and chemical substances that could be used to make a bomb. He is also suspected of ordering additional materials online to prepare the explosive device.
The detainee is expected to be brought before a prosecutor later Sunday for a remand hearing and the filing of charges. Greek police and security agencies stressed that the investigation is still proceeding intensively to determine whether other people were involved in the terrorist network on Greek soil.
