French police has arrested in Hendaye a person for alleged links to the armed Basque group ETA, Spanish news agency EFE said on Friday quoting police sources.

Police believe the suspect, who was identified as David Plá, is the contact between a group of lawyers arrested this week in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa and the prominent members of the armed group.

The suspect was accused of taking part in the plot to kill the conservative PP senator Manuel Giménez Abad in May 2001 but was released as evidence of his involvement was not found.

Spanish Civil Guards arrested earlier this week 10 people, including three lawyers, for alleged links to the armed Basque group ETA. According to police sources, those arrested formed part of group which helped maintain contact between the armed organization and its jailed members and their families.

The three lawyers regularly represent arrested ETA members or supporters in court cases. Among them was Arantxa Zulueta, who has been one of ETA''s main lawyers in recent years.

A National Court spokesman said investigating magistrate Fernando Grande-Marlaska ordered the arrests of the 10 on suspicion of membership in, or collaborating with, ETA.