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New evidence of Iran terror linkMar 12, 2012 (Gulf Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- NEW evidence has been presented linking eight men to an Iran-backed terrorist cell that was planning attacks in Bahrain. Phone records showing they communicated with the head of the group based in the UK was submitted at the High Criminal Court yesterday. "We have evidence of the cell members communicating with their heads of the cell in the UK via the Internet and phone networks" said a senior policeman during cross-examination. "Cell members in Bahrain also held secret meetings." The suspects have been accused of planning attacks on targets in Bahrain, including the King Fahad Causeway, the Saudi Embassy and the Interior Ministry. Four of them were said to have been arrested in Qatar before being handed over to Bahrain's security services, while the fifth was later arrested in Bahrain. Three others are still at large. The 29-year-old policeman said Bahrain's authorities had been investigating the suspects for five months before they were arrested in Qatar. "Secret sources informed me that the suspects were seeking to overthrow the government and was planning to hit targets in Bahrain, including the King Fahad Causeway, the Saudi Embassy and the Interior Ministry, but we did not arrest them as investigations were ongoing," he said. "The Qatari authorities then arrested the men after they travelled illegally and I was sent to arrest them and bring them to Bahrain. "On questioning them they confessed to being part of the terrorist cell. "We have evidence in documents found on the men, suspects' communications with each other via the Internet, phone records and the defendant's confessions." However, during questioning by defence lawyer Mohammed Al Jishi, the policeman admitted no weapons were found on the defendants when they were detained. The trial was adjourned to March 25 to summon defence witnesses. Investigators claim the men were part of a cell that recruited Bahrainis for sabotage training in Iran. Prosecutors have accused them of seeking to overthrow the government, suspend the Constitution and encroach on individual freedoms and rights. One of the men in custody, 30, is alleged to be one of the ringleaders. However, two other alleged masterminds are believed to be in the UK. They allegedly financed another suspect, who is also at large, to receive weapons training from Iran's Revolutionary Guards, according to court documents. It is suspected he received BD3,000 from Iran's Basij militia group to support the cell, according to case files. Two other defendants in custody, aged 27 and 25, are accused of sneaking into Saudi Arabia and then heading to Qatar to meet two of their co-defendants. It is claimed those four were on their way to Iran to receive training in explosives and firearms. They were handed over to Bahraini authorities on November 4. Qatari security authorities reportedly recovered documents and a laptop from them, containing sensitive information, as well as airline bookings to Syria. Two of the defendants, aged 27 and 25, confessed to leaving Bahrain illegally at a previous hearing, but denied the other charges. [email protected],bh ___ (c)2012 the Gulf Daily News (Manama, Bahrain) Visit the Gulf Daily News (Manama, Bahrain) at www.gulf-daily-news.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |