Man arrested in Spanish letter bomb investigation

A man has been arrested in Spain on suspicion of sending parcel bombs to addresses across the country last year including the prime minister's office and the U.S. and Ukrainian embassies.

According to the Interior Ministry, the suspect is a retired Spanish citizen who is tech-savvy and active on social networks. He was arrested in the northern town of Miranda de Ebro and his home was searched by police.

In a statement, the ministry said: "Although it is presumed that the detainee made and sent the explosive devices by himself, police do not rule out the participation or influence of other persons in the events."

The suspect is due to appear before the High Court on Friday.

Six parcel bombs were sent between 24 November and 2 December to the US and Ukrainian embassies, the prime minister's office, the defence ministry and a weapons manufacturer. Most of them were defused, though an employee at the Ukrainian embassy was slightly injured.

It has been established by investigators that all of the parcels were sent from the city of Burgos.

On Sunday, the New York Times reported that investigators were looking into the Russian Imperial Movement, which has links to far-right organisations in Spain and is believed to be linked to Russian intelligence. However Spanish officials have declined to comment on this report.