A majority of them were members of the anti-terrorism police.

The Foreign Press Association here said the anti-terrorism police put pressure on the station to hand over the tape by threatening to keep the station's Peruvian interpreter in jail.

French anti-terrorism police arrested 12 people in nine locations north of Paris on suspicion of terrorist-related activities.

On December 30, anti-terrorism police stormed six locations in Brooklyn and Queens, New York in connection with the investigation.

The anti-terrorism police, at both the central and provincial level, have primary responsibility for investigations aimed at preventing and fighting terrorism, including the collection and analysis of information related to terrorist offenses.

Another hostage, Máximo Rivera, then head of Peru's anti-terrorism police, said recently he had heard similar accounts from other hostages after the raid.

This week, Hector Jhon Caro was dismissed as head of Peru's anti-terrorism police because 16 subordinates allegedly stole a $23,000 agency payroll.

Although the exact number is not known, experts estimate that more than 20,000 people are involved in Peru's anti-terrorism efforts, including the special anti-terrorism police, the National Police, and factions of the Peruvian military.

They are to be questioned by British anti-terrorism police on arrival.

On 6 December 2005, The Washington Post reported Italian court documents which showed that the CIA tried to mislead Italian anti-terrorism police who were looking for the cleric at the time.