Germany Identifies a Plot After Finding a Weapons Cache, but Names No Culprit
Officials were careful not to point a finger, after revealing what they said was a plan for a political attack, at a time when a series of destabilizing actions have been blamed on Russia. German security services are investigating a plot to conduct a politically motivated attack, possibly directed by a foreign power, that was linked to guns found stashed in a forest on the edge of Berlin, the interior minister said on Friday. While Alexander Dobrindt, the interior minister, was careful not to point a finger at any nation, the news came amid increased fear of destabilizing “hybrid” attacks that European governments have blamed, publicly and privately, on Russia. “This case shows that we are working on the assumption that the risk level is high,” Mr. Dobrindt said at a news conference, noting that he had upgraded the threat level this year to high from abstract. The German police are investigating a man who is believed to be a low-level operative involved in hiding the two handguns and ammunition found near Berlin.
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The authorities did not release details about the alleged plot, but Germany’s federal prosecutor, who is overseeing the case, is investigating the man for possible foreign agent activity and the preparation of a serious crime endangering the state, both criminal offenses that carry significant prison time if he is charged and convicted.
