A German police task force stormed multiple locations in the early hours of Wednesday, arresting a suspected Islamist terrorist accused of using fraud proceeds to finance an attack in the country.
At around 5:00 a.m., elite police officers from the Special Forces (SEK) stormed an apartment building in Essen, arresting a 27-year-old suspect of Bosnian origin. The suspect, who is also reported to be a trained soldier, is believed to have been plotting an Islamist-motivated terror attack.
As reported by Bild, the operation followed weeks of surveillance by state security officers and mobile task forces, working under the direction of the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office. A police spokesman explained, “Through the investigations of the Essen police headquarters under the direction of the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office, there were indications, in addition to the suspicion of joint commercial fraud, that the proceeds of the fraudulent acts were intended to finance an Islamist terrorist-motivated attack.”
Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung reported that the suspect had been wiretapped by the authorities for a fortnight prior to his arrest and was imminently planning to purchase a firearm.
According to Senior Public Prosecutor Alexandra Wiese, the alleged fraud scheme involved ordering expensive electronic devices without payment and reselling them to generate cash. “We assume that the intention was to raise money through resale and that at least five-figure sums have already been collected in this way,” she said.
Authorities suspect the funds were intended for a planned assassination attempt. In response, heavily armed units searched several properties and individuals to prevent any possible attack. The suspect’s exact plans, including when and where the attack was to take place, remain unclear.
During the raid, police began a thorough search of the Bosnian suspect’s residence in Essen, using sniffer dogs specially trained to detect data storage devices. The suspect’s alleged accomplice, who lives in Dortmund, is also under investigation.
In total, six apartments across Essen, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, and Soest were searched, and multiple other persons of interest are being questioned.
“Our police didn’t hesitate — they stopped potential terrorist activities before it was even a second too late,” noted North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul.
“This case shows us: There are people out there who disregard and want to destroy our values and our way of life. Our security authorities are doing everything they can to stop these people. Anyone pursuing terrorist plans here must expect the Special Forces to be at their door in the morning,” he added.
По материалам: http://www.planet-today.com/2025/07/german-police-foil-suspected-islamist.html