Berlin: German police found possibly explosive devices near a football stadium on Thursday after arresting a man who may have been planning attacks,
authorities say.
The Federal Criminal Police Office said the 25-year-old, who had no previous police record, was arrested in Cologne on Tuesday after e-mailing anonymous tips about
planned attacks to authorities.
Officials found the three devices near Borussia Dortmund`s football stadium after questioning the man, the office said. They found another three such objects in his
apartment, along with a laptop, chemicals and documents.
The suspect had initiated e-mail contact with the German Embassy in Pakistan`s capital, Islamabad in February, "with the intention of delivering information" on two
allegedly planned attacks in Germany, a statement from the police office said.
Officials determined early in the investigation that the attack scenarios appeared to be fabricated and "may have been the point of departure for a blackmail attempt," it added.
A linguistic analysis of the e-mails suggested a likely link to a so-far unresolved blackmail case involving an unidentified company last year, the police office said.
The man, whose name wasn`t released, was arrested at a hotel in Cologne on Tuesday and acknowledged being the anonymous tipster.
The suspect had mentioned a supposedly planned attack near the Dortmund stadium in his e-mails. He told police that he had "made up" details of the planned attacks - but had placed the devices near the stadium and had another three in
his apartment. The police office said his motive was unclear. Tests have yet to determine whether the devices contained functioning explosives, but the office said there appears to have been no "acute danger" to the public.
Borussia Dortmund currently leads German football`s top division, the Bundesliga. It hosts third-placed Hannover on Saturday.
PTI
