Two Iranian men were detained by German police late Saturday after receiving a tip from US security officials that they were planning an attack, according to Munster police and German media.
Munster police officers said the two men were suspected of preparing “a serious act of violence” involving cyanide and ricin to “commit an Islamist-motivated attack”.
The two men, aged 25 and 32, were detained in Castrop-Rauxel, a western German town outside Dortmund.
A man is detained by a Special Operations Command in Castrop-Rauxel, on Sunday, January 8, 2023.
(Karsten Wickern/dpa via AP)
Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans, while cyanide is a deadly chemical that can exist in various forms.
IDENTIFIED US SOLDIER KILLED IN AL-SHABAB ATTACK IN KENYA
The extent of the suspects’ plans was not immediately known. Investigators wearing hazmat suits searched the home Sunday but found no toxins, according to police.
The substances found during the search are examined at the premises of the fire department in Castrop-Rauxel, on Sunday, January 8, 2023.
(Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
A special task force (SEK) was on site, a police spokeswoman told the German Press Agency on Saturday evening.
(Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
The FBI tipped off officials about the planned attack, according to the German newspaper Bild.
An FBI spokesman declined to comment Sunday.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
A 31-year-old Tunisian man was convicted in Germany of making a bioweapon in 2020 after buying thousands of castor beans to produce ricin and then testing it on a dwarf hamster.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
