Whether a shopping centre, a bar or a police station: a 17-year-old is alleged to have planned an attack in the heart of Hamburg. The Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday that it is believed the teenager intended to kill an unspecified number of “infidels” – by means of an explosion, Molotov cocktails or a knife.
The Syrian national is now in custody. At the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, an arrest warrant has been issued on suspicion of preparing a terrorist offence and financing terrorism.
According to investigators, the 17-year-old is alleged to have obtained, among other things, all-purpose fertiliser, liquid barbecue lighter fluid, a balaclava and a knife. Special forces from the Hamburg police arrested him on May 7. The items in question were seized during a search of his premises.
According to current findings, the foreign terrorist organisation “Islamic State” is believed to have served as the inspiration for the alleged plot. According to the authorities, the success of the investigation was largely due to information provided by the Federal Intelligence Service and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, as well as investigations by the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Hamburg State Criminal Police Office.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office had previously ordered a psychiatric assessment of the young man in separate proceedings concerning possible breaches of the Associations Act.