DATE=5/28/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-232936 TITLE=SPAIN / ETA (L ONLY) BYLINE=GIL CARBAJAL DATELINE=MADRID CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: POLICE IN SPAIN HAVE ARRESTED NINE PEOPLE AFTER RAIDS IN WHICH THEY SEIZED TONS OF FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS LINKED TO THE VIOLENT BASQUE SEPARATIST GROUP, ETA. GIL CARBAJAL IN MADRID REPORTS SPANISH SECURITY OFFICIALS SAY THE DOCUMENTS REVEAL A TIE BETWEEN ETA AND A NETWORK OF LEGAL BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS. TEXT: MORE THAN 200 POLICE OFFICERS WERE INVOLVED IN THE RAIDS AT 11 HOMES AND 10 BUSINESSES IN THE BASQUE CITY OF BILBAO IN NORTHERN SPAIN. THE OPERATION BEGAN AT MIDNIGHT AND LASTED THROUGH DAWN THURSDAY. AUTHORITIES SAY FOUR OF THE NINE PEOPLE ARRESTED WERE LINKED TO A PRO-ETA GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS KNOWN AS KAS. POLICE SAY THAT UNTIL NOW, THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN KAS AND ETA. OFFICIALS SAY THEIR PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE DOCUMENTS INDICATES THAT THE RAIDED FIRMS WERE PART OF ETA'S FINANCIAL NETWORK. AUTHORITIES SAY THAT IN ADDITION TO EARNING MONEY FOR ETA, THE COMPANIES HELPED LAUNDER MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE RANSOM OF KIDNAP VICTIMS AND FROM SO-CALLED "REVOLUTIONARY TAXES" EXTORTED FROM COMPANIES IN THE BASQUE REGION.. AUTHORITIES ALSO SAY SOME OF THE COMPANIES LINKED TO ETA HAVE BRANCHES IN LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES WHERE FUGITIVE ETA AGENTS WERE PROVIDED JOBS AFTER COMPLETING TERRORIST OPERATIONS IN SPAIN. ONE COMPANY, WHICH SPECIALIZES IN FISH PRODUCTS, HAS OFFICES IN CUBA, PANAMA, AND VENEZUELA. SPAIN'S INTERIOR MINISTER, JAIME MAYOR OREJA, WARMLY PRAISED THE OPERATION, SAYING IT STRUCK AT THE HEART OF ETA. (SIGNED) NEB/GC/JWH/JO 28-May-98 1:04 PM EDT (1704 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
