Fresh searches after anti-terrorism arrests in western Germany

Berlin, Jan 9, (dpa/GNA) – Police in Germany were searching two garages on Monday, in connection with an anti-terrorism operation on the weekend, that resulted in the arrest of two people.

A tip-off from US security officials, prompted German police to detain two Iranian brothers. They are suspected of planning an Islamist-motivated bio-weapon attack, prosecutors said. It is not clear how far along their plans were.

The brothers, aged 32 and 25, were taken into custody overnight in the town of Castrop-Rauxel, north-west of Dortmund, for allegedly planning an attack using cyanide and ricin, with the intent of killing “an unspecified number of people,” prosecutors said.

The garages were used by the older brother, local prosecutors said on Monday morning.

Police failed to uncover any toxins during their search of a residence in Castrop-Rauxel on Sunday.

GNA