er Egin, were rounded up in early morning raids in the province of Guipuzcoa, a stronghold of Basque nationalism. They were taken

into custody without a struggle. Most were arrested in the Basque town of Hernani, where Egin`s newsroom is located. Police prevented workers from entering the offices of Egin, which acts as ETA`s mouthpiece by publishing the group`s communiques, and confiscated documents and computer equipment. The newspaper has a daily circulation of some 50,000 copies. Among those arrested was a member of the leadership committee of ETA`s legal political wing, Herri Batasuna. Authorities said the operation, ordered by a high court judge in Madrid who has spearheaded a wide-ranging investigation of ETA and its supporters, was still under way in the city of Bilbao. The latest raids follow the arrest in May of 10 people suspected of helping to finance fugitive members of ETA. That group, including financiers and businessmen, is believed to have raised funds through companies including an import-export business with dealings in Cuba and other Central and South American countries. ETA, which stands for Basque Homeland and Freedom in the Basque language, has killed more than 800 people during its 30-year struggle for an independent state encompassing parts of southern France and northern Spain.