German authorities on Friday revealed further details of an investigation into a Tunisian man accused of planning an Islamist-inspired terror attack using a biological weapon.

Sief Allah H. was arrested in June in a commando raid on his apartment in the western city of Cologne. Investigators found "toxic substances" that were later determined to be deadly ricin poison. The 29-year-old was also alleged to have bomb-making materials in his possession.

Read more: Cologne ricin plotters bought a hamster to test biological weapon

As part of a widening probe, investigators said Friday that prosecutors on August 1 charged the Tunisian with "planning a serious act of violence against the state" and membership in a foreign terrorist organization.

Previously, prosecutors had kept Sief Allah H. in custody on reasonable suspicion. His wife was arrested last month on suspicion of being an accomplice.

According to the Karlsruhe-based Federal Prosecutor's Office, the Tunisian intended to carry out a biological terror attack against "unbelievers" in Germany.

"He wanted to explode a ricin bomb packed with shrapnel in a busy indoor place," prosecutors said in an update on their investigation. It was unclear if there was an exact target.

Read more: Osama bin Laden's suspected bodyguard Sami A. released from Tunisian prison

GSG 9: Germany's elite anti-terror squad Ready to cope with extreme situations The GSG9, which stands for Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (Border Protection Group 9), was set up in 1972 after regular German police failed to rescue Israeli hostages kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Olympics. Its formation was controversial, with some politicians in Germany feeling the group was reminiscent of the notorious Nazi SS.

GSG 9: Germany's elite anti-terror squad Establishing a top reputation The GSG9's very first mission, called "Operation Fire Magic," established its high reputation. After Palestinian terrorists hijacked a Lufthansa plane in 1977, the GSG 9 managed to rescue passengers in a seven-minute operation in Mogadishu. A GSG 9 member and a flight attendant were injured, while three of four hijackers were killed. Sadly, the pilot was killed before the operation took place.

GSG 9: Germany's elite anti-terror squad Reward for a mission accomplished Ulrich Wegener, who was a founding member of GSG 9, received an Order of Merit from the German government after the successful mission. Wegener, who became known as the "Hero of Mogadishu," died on December 28, 2017, at the age of 88. He was always uncomfortable with his popular title, saying recently: "We did the work together."

GSG 9: Germany's elite anti-terror squad Deployed at sea ... The GSG 9 goes into action in hostage situations, in cases of terrorism and to undertake bomb disposal. But it is also deployed to secure locations, as here ahead of the 2007 G8 summit in the northern resort town of Heiligendamm.

GSG 9: Germany's elite anti-terror squad ... and on land Most of the GSG 9's missions are confidential, but it is said to have participated in more than 1,900 operations since being founded. It is currently based in the western town of Sankt Augustin, near Germany's former capital, Bonn.

GSG 9: Germany's elite anti-terror squad Always in training The GSG 9 members undergo rigorous training for all eventualities. Here, they practice dealing with an attack by armed terrorists on a railway station. Plans are now underway to expand the unit by a third and give it another headquarters in the capital, Berlin. Although the number of members is kept a secret, media currently put it at around 400. Author: Timothy Jones



Contact with IS handlers

The suspect had previously sought on two occasions in 2017 to enter Syria through Turkey, but failed to join the "Islamic State" (IS) there for unknown reasons.

Then in September and October last year, Sief Allah H. allegedly made contact on social media with unknown IS members living outside Germany who encouraged him to prepare a bombing in Germany.

By February, he had allegedly made the decision to carry out an attack. Prosecutors also said that he vowed allegiance to IS.

In April and May, prosecutors said Sief Allah H. had already acquired on the internet more than 2,000 castor beans, which are processed to make ricin in white powder form. He also received 1,000 extra castor beans for free due to an initial delivery problem.

Read more: Ricin — an easy-to-obtain bio-weapon from the internet

During this period, the suspect is said to have been in contact with an unknown person outside of Germany who instructed him on the production of ricin, prosecutors said. By the end of May he had produced 84.3 milligrams of ricin. He then tested the poison on a hamster.

Meanwhile, Sief Allah H. was in contact on the internet with another person outside of Germany who instructed him in bomb-making skills. The suspect then bought bomb-making material online, including 250 metal balls intended to be used as shrapnel.

Prosecutors said there is no other known person residing in Germany involved in the plot.

Arrests in Tunisia

Meanwhile, Tunisian authorities said Friday they had arrested two men in connection with the terror plot. It is unclear if the two Tunisians are the same as those with whom Sief Allah H. had contact on the internet.

Tunisia's Interior Ministry said the two men were in close contact with Sief Allah H. One of the men is alleged to have prepared a false passport for him.

The other plotted with Sief Allah H. "to simultaneously carry out in Tunisia and Germany two attacks using homemade bombs," according to Tunisian anti-terrorism spokesman Sofiene Sliti.

What is the 'Islamic State'? Where did it come from? The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.

What is the 'Islamic State'? Where does it operate? IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.

What is the 'Islamic State'? Who is fighting back? The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.

What is the 'Islamic State'? How does it fund itself? One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.

What is the 'Islamic State'? Where does it carry out attacks? IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.

What is the 'Islamic State'? What other tactics does it use? The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.

What is the 'Islamic State'? How has it impacted the region? IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild. Author: Rachel Stewart



Editor's note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.

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