Spain Police bust heavily armed "Messiah" sect

As a self-declared "messiah", a man in western Spain is said to have defrauded dozens of people of their possessions. Worse still, he is also said to have contemplated a kind of war against "unbelievers".

Police in Spain have busted a sectarian and heavily armed organization. Three people have been arrested and eight others are also being investigated for organized crime, fraud, coercion and assault, according to the Guardia Civil police unit.

The gang, based in the province of Cáceres in the west of the country not far from the border with Portugal, had hoarded numerous weapons of war and other weapons as well as ammunition worth at least 68,000 francs.

The Guardia Civil (Civil Guard) said it had already identified more than a hundred victims who had been defrauded of a total of at least one million euros. The victims had been persuaded by the main ringleader to sell their assets and donate the proceeds to the association.

"A large part of the proceeds were invested in weapons," it said. Many more victims are suspected, who have probably not come forward out of fear. More than 80 weapons, silencers for long guns and 7600 metal cartridges of various calibers were confiscated.

The "Messiah" claims to have spoken to Jesus every day

Large sums of cash, cell phones, tablets and computers were also found and seized in various apartments. Numerous bank accounts had also been frozen, it was reported. Spanish media reported, citing investigators, that the cult leader had described himself as a "messiah" who "spoke to Jesus every day".

The man, who had also written books and given lectures, had died of a heart attack in January, when the investigation had already been launched. The widow had continued the activities of the association, reported the newspaper "ABC", among others. She was one of the three people arrested.

According to reports, the association "Ahora estás en casa" (Now you are at home) contacted its victims via social networks, among other things. "The religious message was accompanied by a call for self-defense," wrote "ABC". "We need to be prepared and armed because we are sending a message that the church doesn't want and the world doesn't want. The powers that be could come down on us," the leader had told his followers.

He had considered "barricading" himself with followers. Meanwhile, the association announced the "temporary suspension" of its activities online. It did not comment on the authorities' accusations in the communiqué. "We remain united and contribute to the clarification of all events", it said.

dpa