Two suspected jihadists en route to Turkey arrested in Greece: Police

THESSALONIKI, Greece - Agence France-Presse

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Two men with Swedish passports and carrying machetes and other "combat paraphernalia" have been arrested in Greece, suspected of links to jihadist groups, Greek police sources said on Jan. 31.    

A 28-year-old man of Bosnian descent and a 19-year-old of Yemeni origin were travelling by bus when they were arrested on Jan. 28 in the northern city of Alexandroupolis, near the Turkish border, according to police sources.    

Inside their luggage were found two machetes, army uniforms and other "combat paraphernalia", the sources said.    

Both men have been charged with carrying weapons and will go before a magistrate on Feb. 2, police said.
 
The 28-year-old is known to European authorities for ties to jihadists, having been convicted in the past for planning a terrorist attack and was under the close eye of Swedish authorities,  police sources said.    

Mega Channel reported on Jan. 31 that in 2005 the man was arrested in Bosnia after the police, during a raid at his house, found a suicide belt, explosives and a video showing a man with a covered face threatening terrorist acts against the US Capitol and the White House.    

He was sentenced to up to 14 years in Bosnian prison, but was released in 2011 and asked for political asylum in Sweden, according to Greek police sources.    

The two men arrived in Greece by plane from Sweden "ten days ago", and they travelled by bus to Thessaloniki and then to Alexandroupolis with tickets bound for Turkey, police said.