Acts of Violence Perpetrated by Extremists - Authorities apprehend a suspected IS sympathizer at Cologne/Bonn Airport.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office in Germany nabbed a suspected supporter of Islamic State (IS) in North Rhine-Westphalia. They apprehended this man at the Cologne/Bonn Airport last Friday, a spokesperson for the Karlsruhe office confirmed over the weekend when asked. IS has been accused of this man, of German-Moroccan-Polish descent, for moving close to US$1,700 to Islamic State Province of Khorasan's (ISPK) account via a cryptocurrency exchange in September 2023.
The suspect is being investigated for allegedly aiding a foreign terrorist organization and breaching the Foreign Trade Act. The focus of the arrest warrant is the financial transfers, the spokesperson explained. The individual was detained since Friday night.
Prior to his detention, the "Bild" newspaper had also talked about this case—even drawing connections to Germany's hosting of the European Football Championship happening this year. The spokesperson from the Federal Prosecutor's Office didn't comment on this newspaper's story. More information surrounding the case was withheld. A statement will be shared early in the week, they said.
As per dpa's report, the man had attempted to enroll as a steward and security staff for "Side Events"—happenings outside the football stadiums—that are not part of the actual football event. He had failed the application screening process. "Bild" also added that the man tried to obtain accreditation for two other major events but was rejected. His home was searched too. The investigators found mobile phones, data carriers, computers, and "suspicious documents" there. The suspect is said to be refusing to talk about the allegations.
ISPK, a terrorist cell associated with the militant group Islamic State, is of Afghan origin. 'Khorasan' refers to a historical area that encompassed parts of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan along with parts of Iran.
ISPK has been a topic of concern recently. Experts and western security officials believe they are responsible for the attack on a conference center on the outskirts of Moscow on March 22. This event turned out to be the worst terrorist act in Russia since then, claiming more than 140 lives. Multiple ISPK terror suspects and their accomplices are in custody now.
In March, two ISPK terror suspects were busted in Gera, Thuringia. They were identified as Afghans, and authorities suggested they had planned an attack on the Sweden parliament in response to Quran burnings. This IS branch is associated with plans for attacks during Christmas 2023 in Cologne, Vienna, and Madrid.
Security authorities in Germany have received warnings that militant Islamists are trying to generate chaos in the run-up to the European Football Championship. Calls for terrorism published by the ISPK have been termed "part of the ongoing propaganda campaign that aims to cause commotion and set off lone wolves," a spokesperson from security circles in May mentioned. The group had earlier shown a picture of a man in a stadium, armed with an automatic weapon, in one of its channels.
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- The suspected IS sympathizer, who was apprehended at Cologne/Bonn Airport, has ties to Afghan origin terrorist cell Islamic State Province of Khorasan (ISPK).
- Despite the arrest, ISPK continues to pose a threat, with concerns of chaos in Germany during the European Football Championship.
- The Office of the Attorney General in Karlsruhe is investigating the man for aiding a foreign terrorist organization and violating the Foreign Trade Act, focusing on the financial transfers.
- The alleged financial transfers involved moving over $1,700 to ISPK's account via a cryptocurrency exchange, which occurred in September 2023.
- The suspect has been detained since Friday night and is refusing to discuss the allegations, while investigators have found "suspicious documents" and other items during searches of his home.
- ISPK has been linked to multiple terrorist attacks, including the attack on a conference center in Moscow in March 2023, which resulted in over 140 fatalities.
- The US dollar exchange rate may impact the assets confiscated or fines imposed in the case, as the transactions occurred through a cryptocurrency exchange.
