A possible terrorist attack was allegedly prevented by the police in Hanau on Friday. After a 33-year-old man of Afghan nationality was found to have some suspicious items, including two house knives, a helmet, an axe, a hammer and written notes, police took appropriate measures.
According to the police, the man initially behaved in a psychologically suspicious manner at a city office, then left the building, prompting the office to contact the police. The police then searched for the man in his asylum accommodation and found him there, seizing all the items in question.
The man was subsequently taken to a psychiatric clinic, where he is currently being held under police supervision. Preliminary police investigations have found no evidence of an intended violent act by the man. A first examination by the public prosecutor’s office found no indication of a crime in the context of the situation. The police are continuing to investigate the background and possible intentions of the man.
The AfD parliamentary group had already brought the detention to public attention before the police statement was released, saying that the man was found to have been armed with knives, an axe and a helmet and that a notebook contained the phrases “Death to you Germans”and “Long live Afghanistan”. The group has requested a special meeting of the interior committee and a report on the incident.