Rome, March 23 (IANS/AKI) Italian anti-terror police have arrested an Iraqi alleged by French and Belgian authorities to have links to the Islamic State group which claimed Tuesday’s deadly bombings in Brussels.
Police detained the 46-year-old Iraqi, Ehsan Aziz, on the outskirts of Naples late Tuesday on an international arrest warrant. Aziz was sleeping in his car, where he told police he lived.
He told police he was a property agent for wealthy Arab tourists visiting the area and was taken to Naples’ Poggioreale jail where he awaits extradition.
Aziz was also sought by Swiss authorities on suspicion of attempted rape, according to local media reports.
Announcing Aziz’s arrest, Italy’s Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said Rome had deported 74 terror suspects since January last year including five Muslim clerics.
A total of 396 people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism and 653 had been investigated over the same period, he said.