Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) confirmed that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Berlin State Criminal Police Office have located a weapons cache on the outskirts of Berlin. Dobrindt stated on Friday that cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies is involved in this matter.
The cache was reportedly discovered last October. The two handguns and ammunition found there were initially rendered unusable before the location was placed under surveillance, though this effort proved unsuccessful.
Despite this, the Federal Prosecutor General is currently investigating a suspect on suspicion of acting as a foreign intelligence agent and for preparing a serious crime that endangers the state. According to Dobrindt, the suspect is currently held in custody in Romania, and an extradition request is underway. The security authorities classify this individual as a “low-level agent,” often colloquially referred to as a “throwaway agent.”
In Romania, there is reportedly a separate investigation concerning alleged terrorist plots, which may also involve the use of package bombs. The minister noted that whether these cases are connected-and to what extent-remains the subject of ongoing investigations.
He also mentioned that foreign powers’ involvement cannot currently be ruled out in the Berlin case, and the ongoing investigations should provide further insights.
Dobrindt assessed that this case is part of a broader trend of increasing threats posed by espionage, sabotage, and covert operations. He stated that Germany has moved from an abstract to a “high” threat situation. He views the discovery as another example of how “hybrid threats” could materialize concretely within Germany, and emphasized that it is not an isolated incident.
According to Dobrindt, there have already been several arrests this year related to low-level agents and hybrid threat scenarios, citing recent arrests in Berlin in April and August as examples.
