Police report three more arrests over plans to attack Cologne Cathedral
Cologne's police chief Johannes Hermanns said that the three detainees were connected to a Tajik who was arrested in Wesel on Christmas Eve. The background to this is a suspected plot to attack Cologne Cathedral. Investigations had revealed that the suspected attack was apparently to be carried out using a car - "we don't know how", said Frank Wißbaum, head of the Cologne police traffic directorate.
Officers had then investigated the underground car park under Cologne Cathedral with explosives detection dogs, he said - but nothing suspicious had been found. "As things stand, we haven't found anything that points to an immediate attack," said Wißbaum.
However, the protective measures had been increased once again, he continued. Since the afternoon, "around 1000 police officers have been on special duty just to protect the cathedral and the population in Cologne city center", said Wißbaum.
Interior Minister Reul was convinced of the effectiveness of the protective measures. "The police have taken all precautions to ensure that citizens can celebrate a safe New Year's Eve," said the CDU politician. "I believe that people in Cologne can celebrate calmly today."
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Source: www.stern.de
