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Update: German police raid ‘Islamists’ suspected of violent attack plot

German police carried out raids on suspected Islamist militants across the country early Tuesday, over allegations they were plotting a violent attack, Berlin prosecutors said.

Published: 14 January 2020 09:38 CET
Updated: 14 January 2020 12:59 CET
Update: German police raid 'Islamists' suspected of violent attack plot
A raid took place in this building in the Berlin district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf. Photo: DPA

German authorities are on high alert for Islamist threats to Europe's most populous country, which has in recent years suffered several attacks.

“On suspicion of planning a serious violent act endangering the state, search warrants are being executed in Berlin, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia,” the Berlin attorney general's office said via Twitter.

The probe “targets suspects of Chechen origin from the Islamist scene,” it later added.

The alleged militants of Chechen origin are aged between 23 and 28 and “suspected of having scouted locations for a possible Islamist attack”, Berlin police said in a statement.

The suspicions were prompted by pictures found on the mobile phone of one of the suspects during a routine police check, it added.

German news magazine Spiegel said the suspects may have had a synagogue in Berlin in their sights after video material of the building was found.

The suspects also allegedly scouted out several shopping centres as possible targets, said the magazine.

Some 180 officers took part in the raids, during which they confiscated cash, hard drives and knives.

“Based on the current information, there was not yet any concrete danger of an attack,” police said.

Germany's deadliest attack was a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that left 12 people dead.

READ ALSO: Extra measures in place for terror-hit Berlin Christmas market

The attacker, Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri, hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the vehicle into a festive market in central Berlin.

He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run.

Since then, German authorities have thwarted nine attacks believed to have radical Islamist motives, according to the head of the Federal Crime Office (BKA), Holger Münch.

Most recently, police in the western city of Offenbach arrested three men in November 2019 for allegedly planning a bomb attack in the name of Islamic State.

That same month, a Syrian was arrested in Berlin accused of having procured key components for an explosive device and discussing bomb-making tips with other suspected Islamists in an online chat group.

Germany's security services estimate there are around 11,000 Islamic radicals in Germany, some 680 who are deemed particularly dangerous and capable of using violence — a five-fold increase since 2013.

Around 150 of these potentially dangerous individuals have been detained for various offences.

READ ALSO: Terror in Germany: Investigators have foiled 13 attacks since 2010

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POLICE

READER QUESTION: What powers do police have on the street in Denmark?

Police in Denmark can only stop and search members of the public without cause under special circumstances. What are the rules that apply?

Published: 9 September 2024 17:38 CEST
READER QUESTION: What powers do police have on the street in Denmark?

Copenhagen Police said last week that they had confiscated more than 20 knives in just under a month as a result of around 830 people being checked for weapons in special visitationszoner or “stop-and-search” zones.

Denmark’s laws allow these zones to be established by law authorities for a limited period in response to violent crime. They mean police officers can stop people on the streets or in cars and check if they are carrying weapons without having to give any cause.

READ ALSO: Danish police search 830 people in Copenhagen in less than a month

The Local was contacted by a reader who asked what police “may and may not do” in Denmark.

“For example, can they ask for ID, question you on the street, search you? Can people video in a public place?”, they wrote.

Asking for ID

Police don’t have the right to demand ID, but can ask for your name, address and date of birth, in accordance with paragraph 750 of Denmark’s Retsplejeloven or policing laws. You do not have to give your full CPR (personal registration) number if you have one, although you might be asked for it and see no reason not to give it.

If someone refuses to provide this basic information to the police or provides false information, they can be fined or punished.

It’s worth noting, though, that foreign residents of Denmark who have an opholdskort or residence card are technically required to carry it with them at all times.

READ ALSO: Can you travel in and out of Denmark if you lose your residence card?

The police can question members of the public, but individuals are not required to provide any statements, and no force can be used to compel someone to speak or answer questions. 

Searching

Police can search a person or their vehicle if they have “reasonable suspicion” that the person may have broken the law. They can only conduct a search without any cause if they are in a designated search area (visitationszone) as described above.

In non-visitationszoner, police need reasonable grounds to conduct a search. This can include visible illegal activity, smell of drugs, acting suspiciously or being in a location where drugs or weapons are known to be circulating.

Police may also search your vehicle if they suspect it contains illegal items, such as weapons or drugs, or if the vehicle is involved in a crime.

Detainment

Police in Denmark have the authority to detain individuals for questioning if they suspect the person has committed a crime. Detention without formal charges must be reviewed by a court (known as a grundlovsforhør) within 24 hours.

Police can issue on-the-spot fines for minor offences such as traffic violations and public disturbances, but must follow up with court procedure for serious matters.

All searches conducted by police must be recorded, as must preliminary charges (termed sigtelser), which mean you are under police suspicion. These preliminary charges, which police can give if they have “reasonable grounds” to suspect you have broken the law, enable them to carry out a search as described above.

You are not obliged by law to respond to police questions during these initial searches and proceedings. Once arrested, the police must inform you of your rights, which include the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer.

Police must record searches and initial charges including the time and circumstances of the interaction, allowing a member of the public to later file a complaint if they believe police did not act correctly.

Video recording in public spaces

Members of the public have the right to film or photograph in public spaces, including police officers, as long as they do not interfere with police work. Denmark does not have laws that prohibit filming law enforcement as long as the filming does not obstruct the officers in their duties.

If police deem that filming obstructs their work or invades the privacy of others, they can ask individuals to stop. Recording police actions from a distance without interference should generally be allowed.

In 2021, Copenhagen Police commented after media reported, based on video evidence, that some officers had threatened members of the public with being arrested if they filmed them.

“Based on the recordings presented to us, we have decided to clarify the rules on this area to all employees. As a starting point, there is no basis for charging a person who is passively filming… a police officer on duty,” Copenhagen Police told newspaper Berlingske.

Complaints

Members of the public can file complaints with the independent Police Complaints Authority (Den Uafhængige Politiklagemyndighed) if they believe the police have misused their power or acted unlawfully. You should provide a case number when filing the complaint, if you have one.

Complaints can also be filed at local police stations.

As a member of the public, you have the right to complain about both the conduct of the police and the basis on which they took their decisions – meaning, for example, how they may have justified carrying out a search. In the later case, the complaint may mean you believe a police officer has broken the law.

The Police Complaints Authority handles the case differently depending on whether it relates to a conduct issue or a potential criminal act.

Are there any further questions relating to this article you’d like us to answer? Let us know in the comments.

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