German police have arrested a Russian man on suspicion of plotting a bombing that could kill and injure many. Photo: Reuters

German police have arrested a Russian man, Magomed Ali C. on suspicion of plotting a bombing that could kill and injure many. He was arrested after the Federal Prosecutors Office in Berlin was convinced that he was a terrorist planning a major bombing. Magomed Ali is 31 years old.

Magomed was living in an apartment in Berlin. He is suspected of having jointly prepared a plot with Clément B., who is in jail in France, to execute a terrorist bombing in Germany.

The police action is linked to investigations by French law enforcement officials into the network of Clément B., who was arrested on 18 April 2017 in Marseille, France. He was planning a similar explosive attack in France with an accomplice who had also been arrested.

On his capture, Clément B. was in possession of several firearms and three kilograms of TATP (triacetontriperoxide). He and his accomplice made the TATP together in spring 2017 in France. In the course of the French investigation, suspicions then arose against Magomed-Ali C., which could be worked upon in the course and finally led to todays arrest.

Magomed-Ali C. kept a substantial amount of TATP in his apartment in Berlin. With help from Clement B, he wanted to use this explosive in a radical Islamist attack. This was to be detonated at an unknown time in an unknown location in Germany in order to kill and injure as many people as possible.

However, the two suspects plans were disrupted following a preventive police action against Magomed-Ali C in October 2016. As a result, Magomed-Ali C. and Clément B. feared a timely search of the apartment and the discovery of the stored there TATPs.

Therefore, they decided to separate first. Magomed-Ali C. stayed in Berlin. Clément B. traveled from Berlin via Aachen to France at the end of October 2016. He was arrested there on 18 April 2017.

Magomed is being interrogated about the whereabouts of the TATP explosive.

Magomed-Ali C. will appear before a judge on Thursday when prosecutors said they will request he be kept in custody.

With inputs from Reuters

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