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“This was a suspected terrorist cell .. that went from exchanging suspicious messages online to making preparations” for a possible attack, De Moraes said at a news conference, adding that the detainees had made “at least one contact” with the Islamic State.
“It was a cell of complete amateurs, disorganized” but a threat nevertheless, according to the minister, who said “no serious security force can ignore this” despite the group’s apparent lack of coordination.
The detainees, all Brazilian and one of them a minor, “had no personal contact among themselves” but communicated via instant messaging services such as WhatsApp and Telegram and even established direct communication with IS via those same channels, De Moraes said.
“Some had at least one contact with the Islamic State for a type of initiation, for an oath” of loyalty, he added.
Furthermore, one of the suspects was intending to travel abroad to establish “personal contact” with members of that terrorist group but finally aborted those plans for financial reasons, the official said.
He said authorities learned the group had been in talks with clandestine arms dealers in Paraguay about acquiring an AK-47 assault rifle but that there was no confirmation any purchase was made.
Authorities had been observing the group’s online activity for several weeks following the exchange of messages and videos praising IS, and that monitoring intensified after direct contact was made with the terrorist organization, De Moraes said.
The arrests were ordered after the group’s members agreed online to begin “martial arts training and shooting lessons,” which authorities interpreted as a real threat and the start of preparations for a possible terrorist attack during the Olympic Games, which will run from Aug. 5 to Aug. 21.
In their messages, the detainees said Brazil would not otherwise be a target for terrorism but had become one due to the proximity of the Olympic Games. EFE
Brasilia, Jul 21 (EFE)
