Spanish police arrest 2 Moroccans accused of funding Islamic State

Spanish police arrested two brothers in the northern city of Girona accused of helping to fund Islamic State's operations in Syria and Iraq, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.    

 

The two Moroccans, aged 22 and 32, diverted funds from Europe to pay for the transfer of members of the militant group into conflict zones, the ministry said.   

 

The two otherwise unidentified men, who are charged with financing terrorism, collaboration with a terrorist group and indoctrination, sent money to Islamic State administrators operating under false identities, it said.   

 

The investigation was the first in Spain to uncover concrete evidence of money transfers into Islamic State accounts from Europe.  

 

A third brother who travelled to Syria with his wife and two sons had since died, the ministry said.  

 

Including Wednesday's arrests, Spain has detained close to 30 people so far this year with suspected links to Islamist militancy.