Italian police have arrested nine people suspected of providing logistical support and false papers for members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
The men were arrested in Milan, Italy's financial capital, yesterday and are believed to come from North Africa.
According to local media, police suspect that the group may have provided false identity papers for some of the men that carried out the September 11th attacks on US cities.
Some of those arrested were convicted by an Italian court last year of trafficking in false documents and were investigated for, but never charged with, dealing in chemical arms, a police spokesman said.
Last week, a court in Milan began two trials of alleged members of Islamic groups accused of criminal association, falsifying documents and immigrant offenses. The defendants deny the charges.
On Wednesday, Italian newspapers reported that investigators had uncovered a plot by al-Qaeda operatives who last year planned to attack targets such as a church in Venice, the Vatican and US diplomatic missions in Europe.
Security has been stepped up in the Jewish quarters of both Venice and Rome following reports of possible plans for fresh al-Qaeda attacks.
Venice was on high alert with small submarines patrolling the city's lagoon while in both Venice and Rome, extra police forces patrolled their ancient Jewish quarters.