Police arrested six Danish citizens Friday for robbing millions of dollars to be routed to a Palestinian terrorist organization.
Approximately $10 million is said to have been directed to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Palestine Liberation Organization faction led by George Habash.
Five men and one woman were charged with participation in several robberies that took place in and around Copenhagen between 1980 and 1983. In addition, they were charged with the kidnapping and attempted ransom of a bank director in July 1980.
That attempt was aborted when the bank director was unable to open his safe and a gang of three men fled the scene, leaving the man tied up in a cellar.
Four of the men and the 35-year-old woman are Danish natives. A fifth man is a native of Jordan who became a naturalized Danish citizen.
The well-planned arrest operation took place after many months of surveillance and years of research by the Copenhagen police.
The six Danes were charged under an infrequently used Danish law that makes it a crime to give economic assistance to an organization dedicated to the violent disturbance of the social order.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges. Danish law stipulates that the perpetrators may not be identified.
The PLO spokesman in Copenhagen, Abdul Rahman Allawi, said the PLO did not have any connection to or receive support from the robbers. He said that the PLO does not support terrorist activities, robberies, hostage-taking or murder.
“The only fight we have is with Israel in the occupied territories,” he said.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
