Domestic safety - An individual thought to support terrorism sought credentials for the European Championship.
A man arrested at Cologne/Bonn airport, who was suspected of backing ISIS, attempted to obtain accreditation as a flight attendant during the European Football Championship. North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister, Herbert Reul, confirmed this on Monday in Neuss.
"No concrete plans for attacks were found," Reul stated, a member of the CDU party.
"We have screened all individuals who work in these areas for security and order, as they require accreditation," explained Reul. "During the accreditation process, it emerged that this young man posed an issue, and that is why we're now dealing with him meticulously."
The individual was apprehended on Friday, as reported by a Federal Prosecutor's Office spokesman. Authorities accuse the man of being of German-Moroccan-Polish nationality for making over $1600 foreign transfers to the terrorist group, Islamic State Province Khorasan (ISPK), via a crypto exchange in September 2023.
The suspect is being investigated for alleged support of a foreign terrorist organization and breaches of the Foreign Trade Act. The focus of the arrest warrant is the financial transactions, according to the spokesperson. The individual was brought before the investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice and has been held in pre-trial detention since Friday evening.
According to dpa intelligence, the man applied to work as a steward and security personnel for the non-stadium side events of the European Championship, such as public viewing events. The tournament commenced on Friday with Germany playing Scotland in Munich.
Faeser: Security screenings are successful
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) celebrated the event in Neuss on Monday, stating, "It's positive that the security forces identified this, which demonstrates that our safety examination procedures are clearly effective."
"This is a triumph for the State Criminal Police North Rhine-Westphalia," Faeser added.
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- Despite the alleged support for terrorism, no concrete plans for attacks were discovered during the man's accreditation process for the European Football Championship, which is taking place in various cities across Germany, including Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The individual, who is of German-Moroccan-Polish nationality, was accused of making over $1600 foreign transfers to the terrorist group ISPK via a crypto exchange in September 2023, leading to his arrest and investigation for supporting a foreign terrorist organization and violating the Foreign Trade Act.
- CDU's Interior Minister for North Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reul, confirmed the man's arrest on Monday in Neuss and explained that all individuals working in security-sensitive areas at the European Championship had undergone thorough screenings during the accreditation process.
- Ruby Faeser, the Federal Interior Minister of SPD, commended the security forces in Neuss for identifying and dealing with the potential threat, highlighting the effectiveness of Germany's safety examination procedures during events of global significance, such as the European Football Championship (EM).
- The suspect was originally seeking to work as a steward and security personnel for non-stadium side events connected to the European Championship, such as public viewing events in cities like Neuss, where the tournament has drawn large crowds for soccer matches, including Germany's opening game against Scotland in Munich.
- The arrest and investigation of the individual reinforce the importance of remaining vigilant against terrorism and to continue screening potential threats during major events, according to German authorities, including Reul and Faeser, to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and attendees during the European Football Championship.
- Regardless of the suspected support for terrorism, the European Championship in Germany and across various European nations has been a successful and exhilarating experience, with remarkable performances and fierce competition, drawing immense enthusiasm and support among fans from across Europe, including in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
