Police find ETA arms in France
From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Police have found two new arms caches belonging to ETA in southwest France, two weeks after the Basque separatist group's suspected leader was captured in France, Spanish officials say.
Officers seized 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of dynamite, 188 guns, 30 homemade mortars, and 90,000 rounds of ammunition, Spain's Interior Ministry said in a statement Monday.
Forty-eight grenades were also seized in the raids near Saint Pierre d'Irube and Urrugne, along with 50 detonators and a set of magnets used to attach bombs underneath vehicles.
The suspected top ETA leader for the past 11 years, Mikel Albizu Iriarte, alias "Mikel Antza," was arrested on October 3 in France.
He was among 21 ETA suspects arrested that day in a series of raids in France and Spain.
Since then, police have searched numerous suspected ETA hideouts and found two Russian-made surface-to-air missiles "in perfect condition and ready to be used," the ministry said in earlier statements.
One of the missiles was found in Urrugne, the same locale as one of the latest hideouts with weapons.
On October 3, Albizu was arrested with his companion, Soledad Iparraguirre -- who is suspected of running ETA's extortion unit, which demanded protection money from businesses and individuals.
Shooting range
Wanted for involvement in at least 14 murders, she is considered the highest-ranking woman in ETA.
With the latest raids tallied to include the weapons seized from seven suspected ETA hideouts in France in the past two weeks, the authorities have seized a total of 652 kilograms (1,434 pounds) of dynamite, 148 grenades, 32 grenade launchers, 277 guns -- including assault rifles and Uzi-type machine guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and nearly $90,000 in cash.
At one location, Saint Pierre d'Irube, police found a subterranean shooting gallery apparently used by ETA activists for target practice.
Police also have found four computers that are being analyzed. ETA, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, is blamed for more than 810 killings since 1968.
ETA stands for Euskadi ta Askatasuna, which in the Basque language means Basque Homeland and Freedom. The outlawed group seeks an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain.
But increased cooperation between Spain and France has resulted in the arrests of hundreds of ETA suspects in recent years and the latest arrests were seen as particularly significant because ETA is considered to be weak due to the police crackdown.
