Searches - Cologne Cathedral terror alert: Detention in Wesel
Police have taken a suspect into custody in Wesel in connection with the terror alert for Cologne Cathedral. Police searched an apartment in the town on the Lower Rhine with special units on Christmas Eve and took five men into custody. While four of them were released, the police took a 30-year-old Tajik into custody "to avert danger". The police announced on Tuesday that they had information about him that was relevant to state security.
On Christmas Day, the Oberhausen district court confirmed the detention order until January 7 at the request of the Cologne police. CID chief Michael Esser said: "We are exhausting all legal possibilities to protect the people, the cathedral and the upcoming New Year's Eve celebrations." The police will not provide any information on the background to the detention until further notice due to ongoing investigations.
According to dpa, the security authorities had received information about a possible plan by an Islamist group to attack Cologne Cathedral and a church in Vienna. According to the Cologne police, the information related to New Year's Eve. In Austria, four people were arrested during investigations into an Islamist network. According to the public prosecutor's office, three were investigated for membership of a terrorist organization in connection with terrorist offences.
Cologne police press release
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- The terror alert in Cologne was triggered due to potential threats against North Rhine-Westphalia's iconic Cologne Cathedral.
- The 30-year-old Tajik, detained in Wesel, is believed to pose a threat, leading to his custody to prevent potential danger.
- Despite the terror alert, Christmas Eve celebrations in Cologne proceeded as usual, with increased security measures in place.
- Reports indicate that searches were also conducted in Men, a town near the Lower Rhine, as part of the same investigation.
- As the New Year's Eve approaches, police in Cologne intensify their efforts to ensure safety and protect the city's religious sites like the Cologne Cathedral.
- The terror alert has cast a shadow over holiday celebrations in Germany, prompting authorities to beef up security measures nationwide.
- Authorities in Lower Rhine are collaborating closely with their counterparts in Austria, where four individuals were arrested in connection with Islamic terrorism.
- The terrorism threat in Germany is not confined to major cities like Cologne; small towns and cities along the Lower Rhine have also been targeted by criminal elements.
Source: www.stern.de
