11 July 2006

BILBAO — Police arrested a newspaper editor and another man on Tuesday in connection with the extortion network operated by ETA.

Pablo María Muñoz Peña, editor of the newspaper 'Diario de Noticias', and Jesús Iruretagoyena de la Fuente, are said to have been involved in extracting ETA's so-called "revolutionary tax" in San Sebastián.

Muñoz has previously been an activist in the Basque separatist movement, which is allied to ETA.

The two men were arrested in San Sebastián and Cestona in the Basque Country.

The latest arrests come after 14 people including a former founder of ETA were arrested last month in the Basque Country and southwest France.

They are all said to be involved in blackmailing business people for cash to fund ETA.

Police sources said Iruretagoyena, 66, acted as an intermediary for ETA and its extortion network.

Iruretagoyena was arrested in 1980 and jailed for two years for collaborating with ETA and for handling illegal arms.

He was also linked in 1973 to the disappearance of two Spaniards.

Muñoz, 65, also allegedly acted as an intermediary for ETA.

He has been editor of the 'Diario de Noticias de Navarra' newspaper since it began in 1994.

It appeared his name was mentioned by Jean Pierre Harocarene, a French Basque journalist arrested in the same police operation.

Both those arrested have denied involvement with ETA.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news