After series of bomb threats: Two suspects identified
Investigators have identified two suspects in connection with a series of bomb threats and searched two homes in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. According to the Stuttgart public prosecutor's office and the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office, numerous items of evidence such as computers, hard disks and cell phones were seized during the searches on Friday. No arrests were made, said a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office.
The investigations are reportedly directed against a 19-year-old from the Hohenlohe district in the north of Baden-Württemberg and a 30-year-old from the Minden-Lübbecke district in East Westphalia. According to the public prosecutor's office, the investigation concerns a nationwide series of bomb threats. The perpetrators are said to have posed as opponents or members of Hamas or IS via email and threatened to kill innocent people.
The aim was to trigger costly police operations and disrupt the public's sense of security, it was said. Specifically, the two suspects are said to have deliberately triggered false emergency calls in order to provoke police and fire department operations.
More than 250 bomb threats in total
The 30-year-old is being investigated for 29 bomb threats, while the 19-year-old is accused of four alleged acts, said a spokesperson for the Stuttgart public prosecutor's office. It is suspected that the two were part of a group. In total, more than 250 such bomb threats have been recorded nationwide since October 19.
These were directed against schools, universities, the media and companies, among others, and had triggered more than 30 police operations nationwide - often including extensive evacuation measures, the investigators announced. Hamburg Airport was also affected.
According to the investigators, bomb threats can result in severe penalties. Such threats could result in a fine or a prison sentence of up to three years, they said. This also applies to false bomb threats. In addition, the costs of police operations and claims for damages by affected companies and institutions could be charged to the perpetrators.
The series of bomb threats led to investigations linked to crime, as two suspects, a 19-year-old and a 30-year-old, were accused of making bomb threats via email to provoke emergency responses and disrupt public security. These threats resulted in numerous destructive consequences, including over 250 bomb threats nationwide, leading to costly police operations and potential prison sentences for the involved individuals.
Source: www.dpa.com
