Expatica news

Belgian police stop ETA suspects

31 March 2004

MADRID – Two suspected members of the Basque separatist organisation ETA were arrested on Wednesday by Belgian police, who stopped them for driving a stolen car.

One of the suspects was named as Jon López Gómez, who is wanted in Spain for various terrorist attacks.

The Spanish Interior Ministry would only confirm the identity of López Gómez, who is 29  and from Basauri in the Basque Country.

Authorities said he was wanted in connection with a “long list” of terrorist operations for the Basque separatist group.

In 2000, he went into hiding after he was wanted by the Basque police in connection with setting fire to a bus three years earlier.

He was later condemned to 17 years in jail in his absence.

Sources suggested that the second suspect detained by police could be Diego Ugarte López de Arkaute, who is wanted in connection with the murder of Spanish Socialist politician Fernando Buesa.
 
The two ETA suspects were arrested by police near the Belgian border with France.

The car they were driving had stolen number plates.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news, Belgian news