
A driver has been killed after his car was blown up by an 'explosive device' in a suspected Mafia hit while driving throughBerlin.

The blast rocked the city at around 8am (7am GMT) on a busy street in the district of Charlottenburg leading into the heart of the German capital.

Pictures showed the wreckage of the silver VW Passat estate with its windows blown out and front end smashed in around half a mile from the landmark Victory Column.

Police believe the man, identified only as Mesut T., of Turkish origin, was the victim of an organised crime assassination. He lived in an apartment on Bismarckstrasse not far from where he was murdered. He was known to police as a violent drug dealer enmeshed in Berlin's seedy underworld.

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A man has been killed after his car exploded in a suspected bomb blast while he was driving through the centre of Berlin. A picture posted by Berlin police on Twitter showed the wreckage of a silver VW Passat station wagon with its windows blown out and front end smashed in

A bomb disposal specialist in protective gear passes by the exploded car as he investigates the site of the blast in Berlin

'We believe he died through a bomb attached to the underside of his vehicle,' said prosecutor's Martin Steltner.

The victim ran illegal betting operations in Berlin, was involved with counterfeit money gangs and was once sentenced for trading in cocaine.

The police and prosecutors in Berlin totally ruled out any terrorist motive. 'The suspicion lies in the direction of organised criminality,' added Steltner.

Violent rocker gangs in Germany, organised on the lines of Hells Angels, have long fought brutal turf wars involving extreme violence and murder.

But Berlin is also home to hundreds of thousands of Russians, more than a few of whom are involved in organised crime.

Deputy chief spokesman for Berlin police, Carsten Mueller, said 'investigators are working on the assumption that it was an explosive device' inside or on the vehicle that caused the blast on Bismarckstrasse.

Steltner told the daily Tagesspiegel: 'We believe this was a homicide.'

Investigators were still trying to determine the man's identity and couldn't immediately provide details about the vehicle

The crumpled front end of the Volkswagen is seen in the Bismarckstrasse in Berlin after being targeted by a suspected bomb

He said investigators are still trying to determine the man's identity. No other injuries were reported, although the car rammed into a parked vehicle.

Police initially thought the huge bang which rocked overlooking apartment buildings was the result of a collision.

The driver was pulled out of the smoking car by other motorists and laid on the tarmac, but he died from his severe injuries before emergency medics reached the scene.

A special police murder commission has been formed to probe the killing.

Experts checked the vehicle but found no further explosive devices, Mr Mueller said.

The car was heading downtown when the explosion struck close to the subway entrance to Deutsche Oper station in front of one of Berlin's three opera houses.

Police had asked residents to stay indoors and keep their windows shut before giving the all-clear to after completing a sweep for further explosives.

Police inspect the scene of blast in the Bismarckstrasse. German police said they believe an explosive device caused the car to explode

Blown to pieces: Deputy chief spokesman for Berlin police, Carsten Mueller, says 'investigators are working on the assumption that it was an explosive device' inside or on the vehicle that caused the blast

The city has seen a spate of violence linked to biker gangs involved in the drugs trade in recent years, but Mueller would not speculate on any possible background to the crime.

Police were looking into all possible scenarios, he said.

The incident come just days after Berlin faced a security scare when a man attacked staff at the U.S. Embassy and claimed to be carrying a suitcase bomb.

The German suspect, 23, was overpowered after he became violent and tried to punch security staff when he was turned away.

As he was being arrested by police at the scene, the man told them there was a bomb in his suitcase which he left in front of the entrance.

The area was quickly cleared and a police robot was brought in to open the bag, but found only 'personal items' like clothes, police said.

Mr Berger said he had no details about the man's identity but 'there are many indications he is psychologically disturbed'.

The car was heading downtown when the explosion struck close to Deutsche Oper station in front of one of Berlin's three opera houses

According to eye witnesses, a man tried to escape the VW Passat after the explosion but died from his injuries at the scene