Status: 01/09/2023 1:29 p.m
After the anti-terror operation in Castrop-Rauxel, investigators did not find any toxins even when they searched two garages. “Nothing relevant to the evidence” had been discovered, the Attorney General’s Office said.
During the investigations into the alleged planning of an Islamist-motivated attack, no toxins were found during a search of garages in Castrop-Rauxel. “As a result, we didn’t find anything relevant to the evidence,” said a spokesman for the Düsseldorf public prosecutor’s office.
In the meantime, surrounding houses have been evacuated to rule out a possible hazard, the spokesman said. A package had been found that had to be examined first. So there was nothing dangerous about it.
Investigations had shown that the arrested 32-year-old had the two garages in a backyard in Castrop-Rauxel, the Attorney General said in advance. Previously, there had been a corresponding witness reference.
Two brothers aged 32 and 25 were arrested on Sunday night. The two Iranians are said to have tried to procure poison for an Islamist-motivated attack. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the corresponding toxins cyanide and ricin were not found when the 32-year-old’s apartment was searched. An arrest warrant was issued against the two brothers on Sunday evening.
25-year-old man convicted of attempted murder
The younger of the two brothers was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2019 for attempted murder, among other things. At the time of his arrest, he was not yet at large, but was being held in a rehabilitation center in Hagen. In view of a relaxation, he was sometimes allowed to stay overnight with family members on the weekends. This was announced by a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office in Dortmund. The “Westfalen-Blatt” had previously reported on it.
At the time, the court saw it as proven that the 25-year-old had thrown a large branch from a bridge onto Autobahn 45 while drunk at night in July 2018. The branch hit a car, the then 32-year-old driver was injured by broken glass.
Because of his addiction, the court had also ordered that after a year and a half in prison he be placed in a rehabilitation center. According to the clinic, the man had made progress, but according to the public prosecutor’s office, he last applied in November for the placement to continue. Such accommodation must be reviewed every six months.