According to German federal crime office, a number of Islamic terrorists have entered Germany by hiding amongst recent flows of migrants from the Middle East, and since last year 369 people with suspected ties to the Islamic State have come into the country in this way.

“German security authorities have indications that members and supporters of terrorist organizations are infiltrating groups of migrants in a focused and organized way, in order to launch attacks in Germany,” said a police spokesman, adding that there was no specific evidence of a planned attack at this time.

Of the hundreds of suspected Islamic jihadists entering Germany, 40 cases are currently under judicial investigation at the federal and state level, said a spokesman of the Bundeskriminalamt in Berlin.

The data indicate an overall increase in infiltration by prospective terrorists, with only 213 reports recorded up to early January, among which 18 cases were under federal investigation.

Some of the information regarding terrorist infiltration has come from other migrants who encountered the suspects in refugee camps.

The sharp increase in numbers has led the German authorities to sound a new terror alert, not only in Germany, but throughout Europe.

Two suicide bombers participating in the November 13 Paris attacks last year are believed to have arrived into Europe via the Balkan route, as did the two men arrested in Salzburg in December, who authorities believe were intending to participate in the same attacks.

There is also evidence that Salah Abdeslam, one of the masterminds behind the attacks, absconded with three men who entered Europe with refugees in southern Germany in October of last year.

In recent months, some 60% of migrants arriving in Germany have not been registered because the migrants had no passport or other identifying documents with them. Police said this lack of control is hindering operations and facilitates infiltration of Islamic militants.

Follow Thomas D. Williams on Twitter Follow @tdwilliamsrome

