Italy arrests six Algerians

Six Algerians have been arrested as part of a Europe-wide counterfeit ring that stole the identities of Algerian footballers and is believed to have funded terrorism, Italy's interior minister said yesterday. Italian police said a judge in Milan has...

Six Algerians have been arrested as part of a Europe-wide counterfeit ring that stole the identities of Algerian footballers and is believed to have funded terrorism, Italy's interior minister said yesterday.

Italian police said a judge in Milan has issued a total of 17 arrest warrants for suspects in Algeria, Austria, Britain, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Spain but could not confirm whether all the suspects outside Italy had been apprehended.

At least one of the accused featured on a United Nations anti-terrorism blacklist, police said.

The investigation, started in 2007, showed the ring had a turnover of €1 million over three years and had counterfeited identity documents of Algerian professional footballers playing in Europe.

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