- Further arrests after kidnapping in Cologne
A month after a hostage situation in Cologne ended by special units, police have arrested another suspect. The 19-year-old is believed to have been involved in the abduction of hostages in Bochum, according to authorities in Cologne. The incident is believed to be linked to disputes in the realm of organized drug crime, including a series of explosions in several cities in North Rhine-Westphalia.
A special forces unit (SEK) had freed the hostages at the beginning of July. The arrest of the 19-year-old in Cologne-Kalk is the twelfth in the investigation complex. The young Syrian is suspected of having been involved in the abduction in Bochum and of having used violence, said a spokesman for the Cologne public prosecutor's office.
The hostages had been tortured. The police had feared that their killing was imminent. The abduction and explosions in NRW bear the signature of the Dutch "Mocro-Mafia". Investigators see a new dimension of violence in NRW.
The hostage situation in Cologne occurred a month prior, leading to the arrest of another suspect in the same city. This new suspect is believed to have played a role in the hostage abduction in Bochum, as stated by authorities from Cologne.
