A man has been arrested in Velez-Malaga under an Interpol arrest warrant which claims he is a known terrorist.
The 33-year-old Turkmenistan national was hiding out in the Costa del Sol town before being nabbed by intelligence officers.
The Interpol arrest warrant, dating from May 12, 2021, claims the man is wanted in his home country for leading an organisation involved in terrorist recruitment, financing and planning.
According to information provided to Interpol, the individual led a terrorist organisation in 2010 that sought to overthrow the Turkmenistan government; a known repressive, corrupt dictatorship.
He is alleged to have made public calls for citizens to take power by force and carry out extremist actions.
Turkmenistan has been ruled by the same political party since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedow, who only came to power last year, stepped into his father’s shoes to run the country after he hung up his hat on a 16 year reign.
Last year, Transparency International ranked Turkmenistan as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, coming 167th out of 180 countries.
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