German and Danish Authorities Arrest Suspects in Alleged Terror Plot
German and Danish authorities have announced the arrest of seven individuals in connection with an alleged plot to stage attacks. Three people were arrested in Germany, three in Denmark, and one in the Netherlands on Thursday.
According to German prosecutors, the four suspected Hamas members planned to attack Jewish sites. Three of the suspects were arrested in Berlin, and one in the Netherlands. Hamas, which runs Gaza, is a banned terrorist group across Europe.
In a press conference, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the threat as “as serious as it gets,” while German authorities stated that the suspects arrested in Berlin were of Lebanese and Egyptian descent.
A 57-year-old Dutch citizen was also arrested in Rotterdam as part of the German investigation. Dutch reports suggested that he was also a suspect in the Danish inquiry, but Danish authorities have not confirmed any links with the German investigation.
The suspects arrested in Denmark are expected to be charged with terror offenses, announced Ch Insp Flemming Drejer. He also revealed that an investigation had uncovered a transnational network of people preparing an attack, with links to criminal gangs.
Security around Jewish sites in Denmark will be reinforced, and police patrols in Copenhagen will be made more frequent, added Ch Insp Drejer. Danish intelligence chief Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen stated that the terror threat was linked to the Israel-Gaza war and burnings of the Quran in Denmark and neighboring Sweden.
The terror threat level in Denmark currently stands at four out of five, the second-highest level. The PET security and intelligence agency has stated that the main threat to Denmark comes from militant Islamists, most likely from “a small group or a lone actor” inspired by propaganda. Despite the arrests, Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard stated that the government currently sees no reason to raise the threat level.