Manama- Bahrain's Interior Ministry on Saturday announced, the Coast Guard has foiled an attempt to smuggle eight fugitives convicted in terrorist cases on a boat heading to Iran, the Ministry of Interior has said.
The investigations have revealed that the planners behind the operation were Sadiq Makki Jassim, sentenced to 10 years in Bahrain and currently a fugitive in Iran, and Sadiq Al Hayki, sentenced to life in prison and currently a fugitive in Iran as well.
The coast guard vessels spotted a boat off the coast of northern Bahrain. The boat was chased and then interdicted when those onboard refused to stop.
It released names and photographs of the fugitives who are jailed between 10 to 15 years in the Bahrain court in different cases, Xinhua news agency reported.
'The arrestees' ID cards, money, mobile phones, personal belongings, a GPS and a large quantity of petrol were confiscated,' stated the ministry on Saturday adding legal proceedings were taken.
In October last year Bahrain asked its ambassador in Tehran to leave immediately as it accused Iran of meddling in its domestic affairs and even expelled Tehran's envoy in Manama.
Bahrain authorities in the past have seized weapons shipments which they claim were sent by Iran to create instability in the Gulf.
In November last year, a major counter terrorism operation was conducted by Bahrain's security authorities in which it foiled a terrorist network and the arrest of 47 suspects.
The Interior Ministry said a range of high-grade explosives, bomb making materials and weapons were seized from several locations within populated residential areas in Bahrain.
In addition to the materials seized, a bomb-making facility and an explosives laboratory were discovered.
Bahrain investigators had then said that as with previous terrorist incidents in 2015 the suspects arrested hold strong connections with terrorist organisations in Iran.
Bahrain is a close US ally and hosts its Navy Fifth Fleet, which in this year alone has stopped three dhows in separate incidents that were loaded with large cache of weapons which it claimed were destined for Houthi in Yemen originated from Tehran.
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