Possible Hamas members - Weapons storage in Poland? - Suspected Hamas remain in secret detention
Three individuals, arrested in Germany in late December, are suspected of attempting to locate a weapons depot set up by Hamas in Poland. This information comes from a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), justifying the extension of the investigative detention for the men previously detained in Berlin.
The three men, born in Lebanon, were allegedly planning to bring weapons from the hideout to Germany to enable Hamas to carry out attacks on Jewish institutions there.
No concrete attack plans were reported, as the Federal Prosecutor's Office had previously stated. One of the men is believed to have helped scout potential targets - among them the Israeli embassy in Berlin. A USB stick was discovered in his backpack, according to the BGH ruling, containing detailed satellite images of the embassy as well as the US Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, Ramstein.
Two of the suspects are said to have traveled to Poland to find the weapons cache. The whereabouts of the cache are still unclear according to BGH reports. Another weapons cache was set up by Hamas in Bulgaria. Photos of this depot were found on one of the men. The Bulgarian investigative authorities have reportedly excavated the depot.
Approximately 100 folders of investigation files
All three men are still considered seriously suspicious of being Hamas members, according to the BGH ruling. Additionally, there is a risk of flight. The investigations are extensive; the files now amount to approximately 100 folders. Following their arrest, there have been several searches, the most recent in May of this year. During these searches, approximately 11 terabytes of data were secured on mobile data carriers - including large amounts of photos, chat logs, and videos. "The particular difficulty and extensive scope of the investigations have not yet allowed for a verdict and justify the continued application of investigative detention," the BGH ruling states.
The trio was arrested in Berlin on December 14, 2023, along with a fourth suspect in Rotterdam and three others in Denmark.
- The weapons depot set up by Hamas in Poland was the intended destination for the three men arrested in Berlin, as suggested by the ruling of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH).
- The case of extremism involving these men has taken a significant turn due to the discovery of detailed satellite images of Jewish institutions in Germany and a US Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate on a USB stick in one of their bags.
- The fact that two of the suspects traveled to Poland to locate a weapons cache raises concerns about the threat of terrorism from Islamic Resistance Movements like Hamas in Europe.
- The Federal Prosecutor's Office in Germany is actively investigating this matter, aiming to gather evidence against the suspected members of Hamas, given the seriousness of the charges and the risk of flight.
- Germany's cooperation with other European nations, such as Poland and Bulgaria, is crucial in the fight against extremism and terrorism, as evidenced by the discovery of a Hamas weapons cache in Bulgaria and the subsequent investigations.
- The ongoing investigation has resulted in extensive searches and data collection, with an estimated 100 folders of investigation files and approximately 11 terabytes of data secured on mobile data carriers.
- The case has attracted international attention, with arrests made in Germany, the Netherlands (Rotterdam), Denmark, and Bulgaria, underscoring the global nature of the threats posed by extremist organizations such as Hamas.
