A political society in Bahrain has denied links to a terrorist cell that was uncovered earlier this week.

The police had seized guns, ammunition, bomb-making materials and knives from the home of a terror suspect recently, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Allegations that Bahrain's National Justice Movement (Al Adala) was linked to the cell have since appeared online.

This is based on the arrest of the society's president Mohideen Khan and other society members in 2003 on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks in Bahrain, although they were later acquitted.

A spokesman for the Sunni Islamist society yesterday denied any connection to the seized weapons and claimed it was the victim of a smear campaign.

"Our society president was acquitted in the 2003 case and now some groups are using his photographs and linking them with the case foiled this week by authorities," said the spokesman.

"This is wrong and these online groups are also targeting Mr Khan's son and his family."

The spokesman said mugshots of those arrested in 2003 and newspaper articles about the arrests were being circulated online, along with the latest weapons seizure.

"This is tarnishing the reputation of our society and its leader," said the spokesman.

Khan has taken to Twitter to deny any connection with the terrorist cell and ask the Interior Ministry to make public details of the latest raid.

Meanwhile, a suspect arrested in connection with the latest raid was remanded in custody for 15 days yesterday and is facing a weapons smuggling charge.

"A man was arrested after investigations by the Criminal Investigation Directorate showed that he was illegally importing unlicensed weapons and ammunition into the country," said chief prosecutor Fahad Al Buainain in a statement yesterday.

"An arrest warrant was issued and police confiscated multiple firearms and ammunition from his home.

"The defendant confessed to possessing the illegal weapons and ammunition after he was charged with smuggling and possessing them.

"The defendant was not previously charged in connection with terrorist cases."

Police earlier said "several" suspects had been arrested and their bank accounts were being investigated, along with their mobile phones and electronic devices.

The arrests were announced on the same day that Bahrain was hosting an international conference on combating terrorist financing, which aimed to come up with new strategies to restrict cash flows. - TradeArabia News Service