COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Guns, a rifle and ‘things that could be used to make a bomb’ were found when 14 people were arrested in Denmark and Germany, presumably preparing for one or more attacks in the two countries. the Danish police said on Friday.
A group flag from the Islamic State may indicate that the suspects ‘are related to or sympathize with the terrorist organization’, police said.
Flemming Drejer, chief operating officer of Denmark’s Security and Intelligence Service, said the findings were “worrying”, but “we believe there is no imminent danger.”
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Dreyer said the first seven individuals arrested in Denmark purchased weapons and “we found things that could be used to make a bomb.” He said police had found shotguns and a rifle with a scope, as well as the flag, but that he could not give further details about the Denmark case or the ties with Germany.
“We are now in the first phase of the investigation and we need to keep our cards close to the chest,” Dreyer said.
A total of one of the 14 arrests took place in Denmark. According to German officials, three of the suspects are Syrian citizens aged 33, 36 and 40 who were arrested last weekend.
Authorities announced eight arrests on Thursday and police said six more people were detained on Friday.
The detention hearings in Denmark were held behind so-called double-locked doors, which means that the case was secretly shrouded and that little details were made public. Officials did not identify the suspects.
Denmark’s security service, known by its Danish acronym PET, said on Thursday that the first seven people arrested in Denmark were suspected of “purchasing or participating in explosives, as well as weapons, components and components. “
They are suspected of “planning one or more terrorist attacks or participating in attempted terrorism.”
Earlier, German authorities announced the first three arrests – two in Denmark and one in Germany. According to them, the suspects apparently bought a few kilograms of chemicals in January that could be used to make explosives.
The German prosecutor said a house in the German city of Dessau-Rosslau, between Naumburg and Berlin, had been searched. More chemicals were seized in Denmark.
Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup said on Twitter late Thursday that “the case shows that the terrorist threat against Denmark is still serious.”
The ten million Scandinavian country has been worried about a possible extremist attack since September 2005, when a Danish newspaper published 12 cartoons with the Prophet Mohammed.
The cartoons have caused outrage and protests in the Muslim world, where any portrayal of Mohammed is generally considered blasphemous. The newspaper said it wanted to test whether cartoonists would apply self-censorship when asked to portray Muhammad. No Danish laws were violated with the publication of the cartoons.