Fourteen people with links to Islamic extremism were arrested in Denmark and Germany on suspicion of planning one or more terror attacks using explosives.
Denmark's intelligence service revealed on Friday that those arrested had extremist "militant Islamist"motives and in one of the raids an ISIS flag was recovered.
Raids were carried out across Denmark and Germany in connection with the plot.
Danish police the discovery of an ISIS flag could indicate the suspects “have a connection or sympathy with the terror organisation.”
Flemming Drejer, operative head of Denmark’s Security and Intelligence Service (PET), said the findings were “worrying” but “it is our assessment that there was no imminent danger.”
He said the first seven individuals who were arrested in Denmark had acquired weapons and “we found things that can be used to make a bomb" and said police found shotguns and a rifle with a scope, as well as the flag, but that he could not give further details about the Denmark case or its links to Germany.
“We are now in the initial phase of the investigation and we need to keep our cards close to the chest,” Mr Dreyer said.
"We believe there was no immediate threat, nothing was assembled or mixed. But we're not naive, and we're not excluding anything."
Thirteen people were arrested at the weekend in a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark's PET intelligence service said, and another arrest was made in Germany.
"The operation took place due to suspicions that a terror attack motivated by militant Islamism was being prepared," PET said.
Those arrested in Denmark are in custody, suspected of "planning one or more terrorist attacks or being accessory to attempted terrorism", PET said.
They are suspected of "having acquired ingredients and components for manufacturing explosives as well as firearms or having aided and abetted in the offence".
A search of a residence in the German city of Dessau-Rosslau, between Naumburg and Berlin, uncovered 10 kilograms of black powder and fuses, the German prosecutor has said.
More chemicals were seized in Denmark.
Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup said on Twitter that ”the case shows that the terrorist threat against Denmark remains serious.”
It is believed eight men and five women were arrested.
German prosecutors on Thursday said that three of the suspects were brothers from Syria, two of whom were arrested in Denmark and one in the German state of Hesse.
German police were alerted to the three last week after they ordered chemicals online that could be used to make explosives.
The men, aged 33, 36 and 40, were charged with planning a serious act of violence endangering the state, said prosecutors in the town of Naumburg, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
"In January of this year, they are alleged to have been involved in the purchase of several kilograms of chemicals that can be used to manufacture explosive devices," prosecutors said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
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Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
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Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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