National Police disband structure of Muntasir Media in Spain, responsible for several videos with Jihadi threats in Spanish

During the operation, a second person was also arrested, who was subsequently released.

Despite his young age, the detainee was the sole person responsible in Spain for the so-called Muntasir Media, an unofficial platform tasked with the mass spread of content promoting said terrorist group and sending out messages of fear and intimidation through the Internet.

While searching his domicile, officers from the General Intelligence Commissariat discovered a large number of chemical precursors, including ammonium nitrate, hydrogen peroxide and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), key elements in the manufacture of so-called TATP, or "mother of Stalin", the most commonly used explosive by Jihadists, for example in the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils.

A large quantity of electronic material, manipulated cell phones, modified watches likely to be used as timers, a bullet-proof vest cover and a sheet with pellets attached in the form of shrapnel were also seized. In addition, written manuals and very detailed crib-sheets on the step to be followed to manufacture improved explosive devices were also discovered, as were instructions coinciding with the manipulations carried out on the objects mentioned above. The detainee had drawn up a list identifying a large number of people and certain infrastructures as targets. He was also the author of all the videos with threats written in Spanish, which were uploaded to the Internet between the end of 2018 and 2019.

Muntasir Media incites lone wolves and cells to attack

Muntasir Media is an unofficial media structure that seeks to spread the discourse of the terrorist group, following the collapse of the core organisation that had attempted to establish a caliphate in Syria and Iraq. This propaganda machine has international cells where other members of Muntasir Media have uploaded threats against other countries, such as France and England, as well as against international politicians.

The detainee's training, with extensive knowledge of computer security measures, allowed him to make these terrorist threats while hiding his identity and digital trail such that his detection, identification and localisation were extremely complex and laborious. One particular characteristic of this unofficial platform is the use of very secure messaging applications that allow for the extensive spread of content with few security risks for the user.

The investigation was carried out under the supervision of Central Investigation Court number 1 and the coordination of the Prosecution Service of the National High Court. The detainee was been remanded in custody.

Non official translation