German police arrested a 32-year-old Iranian man suspected of plotting a chemical attack.
The Iranian national was arrested in the town of Castrop-Rauxel, near Dortmund, on suspicion of procuring toxins including cyanide and ricin in order to commit a terror attack inspired by Islamic extremism, German authorities said on Sunday. Another person was detained during the operation, they said.
The Iranian’s house was cordoned off and searched in order to secure further evidence, with German media reporting that several officers and emergency workers in full protective suits were present at the scene.
A joint statement by Düsseldorf’s public prosecutor and the police forces of the cities of Recklinghausen and Münster said that the arrest was the result of an investigation by the region of North Rhine-Westphalia’s anti-terrorism office. German tabloid Bild reported that Germany’s law enforcement was tipped off by a foreign intelligence agency about the man’s plan.
Preparing a serious act of violence is punishable with a prison sentence of six months to 10 years under German law, according to the police statement.
Gian Volpicelli
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