Romania expels five alleged members of al-Qaida

Romania has deported five alleged members of terrorist group al-Qaida this year, an intelligence service spokesman said today.

Marius Bercaru, spokesman for the Romanian Intelligence Service said the five, all students, were placed under surveillance in the capital and the north-east city of Iasi and later deported and declared persona non grata for the next 15 years.

He declined to say where they had been deported to. The deportations took place this year.

“The operation aimed to stop this radical Islamic group in Romania and remove these people from the national territory,” he said.