World News | Peru Arrests an Iranian Man Accused of Planning an Attack on an Israeli Citizen
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Police in Peru announced the arrest on Friday of an Iranian citizen who was purportedly a member of Iran's Quds Force and allegedly planned to kill an Israeli citizen in the South American country.
Lima (Peru), Mar 9 (AP) Police in Peru announced the arrest on Friday of an Iranian citizen who was purportedly a member of Iran's Quds Force and allegedly planned to kill an Israeli citizen in the South American country.
Gen. Oscar Arriola, Peru's police chief, said in a press conference that Majid Azizi, 56, was arrested on Thursday in Lima, along with two Peruvian citizens.
Arriola said authorities thwarted the attack against the Israeli. He did not identify the intended target for security reasons. Police are still looking for a third Peruvian they think was in charge of the plot to kill the Israeli man, he said.
Arriola said Azizi entered Lima on March 3, and they were alerted about him by foreign intelligence offices.
Also Read | Man Dies After Eating Butter Chicken: One Bite of Chicken Curry Kills 27-Year-Old Man in UK.
The Associated Press couldn't independently confirm whether Azizi is a member of the Quds Force. Iranian authorities did not comment, and Iranian state media did not acknowledge the arrest early on Saturday.
Iran has run intelligence operations in South America in the past, particularly through the expeditionary Quds, or Jerusalem, Force of its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Iran maintains close ties to Venezuela. The Quds Force was linked to an impounded Boeing 747 in Argentina and later seized by the United States. And most notoriously, Argentina believes Iran was behind the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre that killed 85 people.
This is the first time Peruvian authorities have announced the arrest of an alleged member of that group.
Arriola said Azizi was captured after withdrawing money from an ATM and, along with the two Peruvians arrested, will remain in prison for an initial 15 days under terrorism charges.
The general said the man intended to return to Iran the same day he was captured.
Azizi is married to a Peruvian woman, he added. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)