For the past couple of months the Guardia Civil and the National Police have increased their vigilance of the Muslim community on the island with special attention being paid to mosques and centres where young Muslims gather for meetings and talks.
However, the authorities insist that everything is being done to maintain maximum security and calm.
“We are working extremely hard to prevent an attack in Majorca but we have to be aware of the fact that a zero risk of a terrorist attack does not exit,” government sources said yesterday.
Nervous
Nevertheless, people are nervous, especially those who live in Inca, Ariany and Binissalem where the four terror suspects were arrested on Wednesday morning. “He wore a tunic, had a long beard and all the things that you associate with someone very religious, but he was well integrated and that’s what makes us nervous, nobody suspected he was a terrorist,” a neighbour in Inca said.
In the three towns and villages, many people are still in shock and awe about what happened and that these four potential terrorists were living in their community. And there are still people who cannot believe that Imam Tarik Chadlioul, who was also arrested on Wednesday in Birmingham and set up and controlled the Majorcan cell, was a dangerous terrorist.
“He used to come to Majorca and sell perfume which he bought at a goof price in Saudia Arabia. He used to attend weddings and family reunions and then post the videos on his Facebook page, but he did not try to indoctrinate anyone,” said someone who knew the cleric who is in police custody and is trying to use the European Union Human Rights laws to avoid extradition to Spain. But, the reality was something very different. He had 30.000 Facebook followers and a popular Youtube channel full of messages, speeches and videos of how to get radicalised and join ISIS.
One of his most dedicated followers was Ismael Omar Mostefai who regularly attended the mosque in the Parisian suburb of Couscouronnes. He was passionate about the sermons of the Imam Tarik and gradually radicalised himself so much that he was one of the terrorists who attacked the Bataclan theatre in Paris.
And here in Majorca, Abdelader Mahoudi had become so driven that he was planning a killing spree in the square in Inca, similar to the attack just weeks ago in London.
Investigating
Now, the security services are investigating just how many Muslims in Majorca attended the radical meetings organised by the cell and followed Tarik on Facebook, in a bid to get a grip on the extent of ISIS on the island.
In the meantime all the authorities from Palma to Madrid have congratulated the National Police for having broken up this highly potential terror cell which was planning carnage.