A 27-year-old Syrian was taken into long-term custody in the Harburg district of Hamburg following indications of a planned attack. The large-scale operation took place in a refugee accommodation.
Harburg – On Friday, a spokeswoman for the police in Harburg confirmed that a 27-year-old man was taken into long-term custody after a large-scale operation took place in the district of Harburg to avert danger.
The decision for this operation was taken after a “tip-off” had emerged in cooperation with other authorities. According to a report in the German news magazine Der Spiegel, the police received tips from a foreign intelligence service about a possibly planned, Islamist-motivated suicide attack. Only a few months ago, a foreign intelligence service also provided information that led to the arrest of a terror suspect in Hamburg.
Based on the available information, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution started the operation in a refugee accommodation in Tostedt. However, no explosives or weapons were found during the search.
According to Spiegel, the suspect taken into custody is said to be a Syrian who had previously asked people to pray for him on social media before taking down his profiles on all networks.
The police took the man into custody for eleven days. According to the Lower Saxony Police and Regulatory Authorities Act, up to ten days of detention can be imposed for suspected criminal offences, and even up to fourteen days for terrorist offences.
The Tostedt District Court ordered the detention and the suspect is still in custody a week later. As the investigation is still ongoing, the police spokeswoman could not disclose any further information.
Currently, the investigation into a suspected planned attack is in full swing. The police expect further results in the next few days.