Italian link to 26/11: Report

Militants behind the Mumbai terror attacks used cell phones that were activated in the United States and paid for with funds sent from Italy, an Italian newspaper reported on Tuesday.   

The Corriere della Sera daily said India sent the intelligence information to Italy and other countries so anti-terrorism investigators could attempt to expose ties to the network behind the 26/11 attacks.   

Corriere said the Italian authorities were investigating a wire transfer sent to the US from the northern Italian city of Brescia by a Pakistani-born suspect.

Javaid Iqbal sent the funds via Western Union to pay for five cell phones with Austrian country codes — three of which were used by the attackers, Corriere said, citing an Indian dossier.   

Iqbal, a former resident of Barcelona, has been arrested in Pakistan and the Italian authorities are trying to understand how he arrived in Brescia and whether he had support from anyone there.

The cell phones were activated in the United States by a US company, Corriere reported, and registered to another man, who identified himself as an Indian.