A 27-year-old man with Bosnian-Herzegovinian citizenship was temporarily detained in Essen early Wednesday morning during a large-scale operation. The Düsseldorf General Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Essen Police announced the arrest.
The operation involved simultaneous searches of six locations in Essen, Dortmund, Düsseldorf and Soest. In addition to the detainee’s residence, authorities searched apartments belonging to witnesses to secure potential evidence. These actions are linked to an ongoing investigation.
Investigators suspect that funds obtained through fraudulent activities were intended to finance a terror attack with an Islamist motive. Specific details regarding the suspected fraud and the target of the potential attack were not disclosed by the authorities due to the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation. Police operations are currently continuing.