Bomb Threats Also in Austria: Raid Against Suspects in Germany

On Tuesday, searches were conducted at the homes of four suspects, some of whom are still minors, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Hesse, as well as a juvenile witness in Saxony-Anhalt, as the authority in Wiesbaden announced. The suspects are alleged to have sent threatening emails to places such as schools and train stations, including in Austria.

Investigations in Austria have now led to the searches in Germany. According to the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the emails sent by the group triggered "in hundreds of cases" large-scale police operations and evacuations. In 2024, shopping centers in Saxony-Anhalt and North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as train stations, a building of the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk in Magdeburg, and schools and public facilities were affected. Other comparable acts affected Austria.

All threats were false

The suspects acted "as part of a perpetrator group operating across regions," it was stated. Allegedly to enhance the threatening effect, emails often had an "Islamist reference." However, a "religiously motivated motive" could not be proven in the investigations. All threats were also false.

During the searches, evidence such as electronic devices and storage media were seized. There was no mention of arrests. The investigations are directed against four suspects, including two juveniles.

Group allegedly networked in chat group "Schweinetreff"

According to the authorities, the group had come together purely virtually - specifically under a closed messenger group called "Schweinetreff." The aim was to "disturb public peace by threatening crimes to the detriment of life and limb, to trigger the largest possible deployment situations, and to create the greatest possible uncertainty among the population."

"Although no damaging event occurred as a result of the acts, the evacuation measures in Germany caused immense property damage in the high five-figure range," it was stated. Additionally, the operations in schools, in particular, caused psychological stress.

Besides Germany, Austria was particularly affected by similar threatening behaviors, which also led to significant economic damage due to evacuation measures there, according to the German Federal Criminal Police Office. In the course of the investigations there and the German-Austrian information exchange, comprehensive evidence was secured, and insights into the alleged perpetrators and their networking with each other were gained. These subsequently led to the identification of the four suspects in Germany.

(APA/Red)

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