Oslo: Norwegian police had hidden cameras in
the apartment of a suspected terror cell`s leader arrested
this week and knew he had explosive material for an attack,
the VG newspaper reported on Saturday.
The Norwegian security police (PST) had the flat under
video surveillance during their investigation for several
months, VG reported on its website, identifying the suspect as
a Norwegian named Mikael Davud.
He was one of three men arrested Thursday on suspicion of
plotting an al Qaeda attack in Norway and was the alleged
leader of the group.
The secret surveillance revealed that he had the material
to make a large bomb or several small devices but had not yet
decided on the target, the newspaper said.
Yesterday, VG reported that police had succeeded in
substituting a harmless chemical for one of the bomb-making
components that the suspects had bought.
The PST made the arrests on Thursday -- two near Oslo and
one in Germany -- on charges of conspiring to "commit
terrorist acts" and of having links to al Qaeda.
Lawyers for the three men say they have denied the
charges, VG said.
The PST, which did not divulge anything about the alleged
plot or whether the men were suspected of trying to make a
bomb, insisted Thursday it had "had sufficient control of
these individuals (leading up to the arrests), and
according to our assessment the public have not been in any
danger."
Police identified the suspects only as a 39-year-old
Chinese Uighur who became a Norwegian citizen three years ago,
along with a 31-year-old Uzbek and a 37-year-old Iraqi Kurd,
both with legal resident permits in Norway.
PTI
