‘Walking the Same Streets’: UK, Spain Arrest Member of Hezbollah Cells

Latest Developments

• UK Man Involved in Funding Hezbollah: Detectives from London’s Counter Terrorism Command arrested two men suspected of being members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization on April 3. A 39-year-old north London man was arrested on suspicion of “preparing acts of terrorism and being involved in funding for the purpose of terrorism,” and a 35-year-old west London man was arrested on suspicion of being a member of the group, which the United Kingdom proscribed as a terrorist organization in 2019.
• Drones Manufactured Near Synagogue: In Barcelona, Spanish authorities arrested three men on April 1 for allegedly manufacturing explosive drones for Hezbollah. The arrests occurred in the upscale Eixample district of the city, just blocks from its main synagogue and Jewish school, Ynet reported. The arrests were part of an operation by the Spanish army’s intelligence service focused on Lebanese nationals in the city. They follow a joint Spanish-German operation in July 2024 in which four individuals — three in Spain and one in Germany — were arrested on suspicion of belonging to a network that served as Hezbollah’s primary European supplier of armed drone components.
• Warning to Israelis and Jews Traveling Abroad: Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) warned on April 1 that Iran and its terrorist proxies were intent on harming Jews and Israeli travelers abroad, including in Europe, where numerous plots have been thwarted in the past year. “Hezbollah operatives [are] walking the same streets as Jewish schoolchildren, building explosive drones just blocks from synagogues,” said Angel Mas, president of Spain-based ACOM, an organization that monitors antisemitism and extremism.

FDD Expert Response

“Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, atrocities, many around the world have targeted nearby Jews and Jewish institutions, trying to finish the job Hamas started. The rise in antisemitic attacks and plots shows that anti-Zionism bleeding into antisemitism will lead to Jewish blood being spilled.”  — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

“Tehran has long relied on its network in the West to illicitly acquire materials and components crucial to expanding its missile arsenal and drone capabilities. The same applies to its proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, which have developed large networks throughout the Western world. These not only provide funding and materiel for Iran-backed terrorists in the Middle East but also seek to harm Jews and Israelis where they live. Jewish people, synagogues, schools, and other institutions can become easy targets if extensive proactive security measures are not taken.” — Janatan Sayeh, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“Israel Warns of Threats to Israeli and Jewish Travelers Ahead of Passover,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran’s Assassination Plots Against Jews Persist Despite the West’s Leniency on Regime,” Janatan Sayeh

“Iran’s ties to Western organized crime networks,” by Janatan Sayeh

“‘Direct Ties to Senior Officials’: German Police Charge Members of Suspected Hamas Cell,” FDD Flash Brief