The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office authorized searches across several federal states early Tuesday morning at the residences of individuals suspected of supporting the Islamic State (IS). The Karlsruhe-based authority reported that these actions were carried out based on rulings issued by the investigative judge of the Federal Court of Justice.
Specifically, the searches targeted the premises of five suspects located in Baden-Württemberg (Filderstadt), Brandenburg (Potsdam), and Hesse (Limburg-Weilburg). Additionally, eleven individuals who were not suspected of any crime were searched. These were found in various locations including Bavaria (Hof), Berlin, Brandenburg (Potsdam and Ostprignitz-Ruppin), Hesse (Limburg-Weilburg and Wetteraukreis), North Rhine-Westphalia (Dortmund), and Schleswig-Holstein (Stormarn district).
The suspects are being investigated for membership in a foreign terrorist organization. According to the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, the suspicion is that they traveled to Germany as members of the “Islamic State” (IS) to network with other IS supporters within Germany and Europe, as well as to acquire funding for the organization.
No arrests were made during the operations, which were conducted to clarify existing suspicions. Officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office, along with local police forces from Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, and Hesse, were deployed for these measures.
