ATHENS, Greece (JTA) — Athens police arrested an alleged Palestinian terrorist accused of being in Greece to plan a major attack in Europe.
Ghaleb Taleb, who who was arrested Feb. 12, is said to be a member of the Fatah-Al-Islam terror group based in Lebanon. He holds a Lebanese passport and citizenship.
Taleb will be deported for illegal entry into the country after being questioned by police. It is unclear whether he will be sent to Lebanon or the Palestinian Authority, according to reports.
Ghaleb was under the surveillance of the Greek Central Intelligence agency after reportedly secretly entering Greece several months ago, the Greek police said.
The police were forced to arrest Ghaleb over the weekend to avoid his fleeing the country following a story in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera reporting his presence in Greece and his alleged mission. The paper said that Ghaleb had attempted to facilitate the entrance into Greece of other terrorists, to whom he supplied money and false passports.
A Palestinian was last arrested in Greece on terrorism charges in 1991, according to reports.
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