Berlin, Germany- Knife Attack on Half-Marathon Race Foiled
Police in Berlin, Germany reportedly foiled a plot to attack the the Berlin Half-Marathon race on Sunday according to the NY Post. Six people were detained according to the Polizei Berlin, although the special police force stated four were detained. It is unknown why there is a discrepancy.
“Arrests on suspicion of involvement in a crime
Police report from 08.04.2018
berlin far
No. 0766
In the course of today, several searches were conducted throughout Berlin, which led to the discovery of evidence and arrests. In the run-up to the Berlin Half Marathon, there were isolated indications that the six detainees between the ages of 18 and 21 may have been involved in the preparation of a crime in connection with this event. Based on these indications and the not yet fully clarified background of yesterday’s assassination in Münster, the Attorney General Berlin and the State Office of Criminal Investigation Berlin decided to search the corresponding residential addresses and two vehicles in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Neukölln.” Berlin police statement
The police statement is referring to the Muenster attack on April 8, which we previously reported.
Authorities stated that the plot was to attack the marathon spectators with knives. Local news media stated that the main suspect had been under 24 hour observation, and when they received a tip from a “foreign intelligence service” that the suspect(s) was planning a knife attack at the half-marathon, German Special Police Forces pounced.
It is unclear what the Berlin police were referring to by the term “isolated indications.”
Although bomb-sniffing K9s were deployed, and barked when they went into one of the basements, police made it clear that they did not find any explosives.
One of the residences searched was the same one that was searched after the Berlin Christmas Market attack.
#BREAKING Berlin police tweeted that 6 people were detained in co-operation with the city’s prosecutor’s office for an alleged plot to to carry out an extremist attack on Berlin’s half-marathon Sunday. https://t.co/pO6VRzjZWw
— Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) April 8, 2018
One of the apartments Berlin police raided before the race started Sunday was also searched after the Christmas market attack. Special police forces detained 4 men in connection with the race plot,
Die Welt reports—different from the 6 that police reported.— Nick Short 🇺🇸 (@PoliticalShort) April 8, 2018
6 detained amid ‘vague indications’ of attack at Berlin race Read more: https://t.co/TSbg6Iw0v9 https://t.co/TSbg6Iw0v9
— The Ledger (@theledger) April 8, 2018
