A presumed Tunisian jihadist was stopped by the anti-terrorism section of the Digos of Catanzaro together with his colleagues from Cosenza . The man is suspected of transnational association with the purpose of terrorism, he is believed to be a member of ISIS.

Halmi Ben Mahmmoud Mselmi, 28, described himself as “ready for martyrdom” and professed to be a Salafi-Takfira. He was also wanted in Tunisia and was determined to commit a terrorist act in Italy.

The investigations, coordinated by the Catanzaro Public Prosecutor's Office and carried out with technical activities, environmental and telephone interceptions, allowed investigators to outline the existence and operation of a criminal structure capable of carrying out terrorist acts.

According to what has emerged, the 28-year-old is said to have carried out proselytism and indoctrination activities aimed at inculcating a positive vision of martyrdom for the Islamic cause and military training activities whose objective was to subvert state systems , especially those relating to states where the population is Muslim majority, tending to create theocratic structures, where the leaders establish that the laws are of divine derivation and that they must be rigidly observed.

The man, a resident of Cosenza where he worked occasionally as a bricklayer, had been monitored since November 2023 and was also followed when he moved from Calabria outside the region.

Mselmi, according to the investigations, said he was "ready for martyrdom" to strike Westerners and Israelis . He was part of an organization whose members, about seventy, had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State and were planning to join the Caliphate's troops in Syria .

"The personality of this individual - explains Antonio Caliò, director of the District Digos of the Calabrian capital - is very particular. And it is part of an even more complex and articulated investigation based on technical and interception activities. In particular, he worked assiduously in indoctrination and proselytism actions".