Germany Prevents ‘Islamist-Motivated’ Attack; Iranian Detained
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BERLIN (Worthy News) – German authorities say an Iranian man has been detained in western Germany for allegedly plotting an “Islamist-motivated” chemical attack.
The 32-year-old was taken into custody at his flat shortly before midnight on Saturday in the town of Castrop-Rauxel, close to the city of Dortmund, police explained.
Police said the Iranian was suspected of having planned a “serious act of violence endangering the state” by allegedly procuring cyanide and ricin to commit an “Islamist-motivated attack.”
In Germany, this crime carries a prison sentence of between 6 months to 10 years.
Initially, the man had intended to attack on New Year’s Eve but did not have enough materials to do so, according to investigators.
He subsequently managed to procure missing items in the last few days, authorities said.
Police seized electronic storage devices but found neither cyanide nor ricin during the search in Castrop-Rauxel, announced the Duesseldorf public prosecutor’s office.
FOREIGN AGENCY
The Iranian man’s detention followed a tip-off from a foreign intelligence agency, authorities added on Sunday.
Officials declined to say which agency had reported the threat, but German media said it was the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“Germany continues to be a direct target of Islamist terrorist organizations. Islamist-motivated lone perpetrators are another considerable danger,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters.
Germany has been the target of several Islamist attacks in recent years. In 2016, a truck attack on Christmas markets in Berlin killed 12 people and injured dozens.
The latest arrest also came amid ongoing concerns about threats to German society.
Last month, German special forces detained 25 suspected far-right extremists over an alleged plot to overthrow the government.
Officials said suspects include people influenced by the Reichsbürger or “Reich Citizens” movement, which believes that Germany’s modern democratic government is not legitimate.
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