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Spain letter bomb suspect on terror charge

A 74-year-old Spanish man arrested over a spate of letter bombs sent to institutions faces terrorism charges.

SPAIN CRIME LETTER BOMBS A letter bomb suspect has appeared before a judge in Madrid and was detained without bail.
January 28, 2023
By AAP
28 January 2023

Spain’s National Court says it has charged a 74-year-old retired man with terrorism for allegedly sending six letters containing explosive material to Spain’s prime minister and the US and Ukrainian embassies in the country.

The as-yet-unidentified man appeared before a judge in Madrid on Friday and was detained without bail, the court said. 

The suspect, referred to only by the initials PGP, was charged with six separate terrorism offences, it added, after being arrested in the northern city of Miranda de Ebro on Wednesday.

The man was charged with the manufacture and use of explosive devices for terrorist purposes, according to court documents. 

Two of the alleged offences were classified as aggravated as they involved members of the government.

The six letter bombs were sent in November and December last year and required bomb squad disposal. 

An employee at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid was slightly injured while handling one of the letters, and another was destroyed after being dispatched by regular post to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Letters with similar characteristics were sent to Spain’s Defence Ministry, a European Union satellite centre located at the Torrejón de Ardoz air base outside Madrid and an arms factory in northeastern Spain that makes grenades sent to Ukraine.

An envelope intercepted at the US embassy’s security screening point in December was detonated by authorities after a wide area in the centre of Spain’s capital was cordoned off.

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