A Danish national was under arrest in Germany, on suspicion of spying for Iran and planning attacks against Jewish targets, Germany's federal prosecution said on Tuesday. The suspect they named Ali S, who has Iranian roots, took photos of houses, including the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society, and received his orders from the Quds Force, Germany's Der Spiegel said.
The suspect was arrested on Thursday in the Danish city of Aarhus with the help of local police, Germany's chief prosecutor said. He was facing charges of espionage, but the investigation was still in its early stages.
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German security outside the Israeli embassy in Berlin last year
(Photo: John Macdougall / AFP)
Thus far, investigators found that during June, the suspect followed potential targets in Berlin and photographed homes and buildings, including one belonging to the German-Israeli Society, which is often frequented by Dr. Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.
The suspect targeted both institutions and private individuals, the German prosecution said.
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Prosecutors believe the suspect was sent on a mission by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, which is responsible for terror attacks around the world and for the ties with Iran's proxies.
German security forces thwarted several Iranian attempts to attack Jewish targets in Germany, but concerns have grown since the Israel-Iran war.
German and European investigators have been aware of a pattern of Iranian intention to enlist criminal elements on the continent to carry out terror attacks.
The Iranian embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.