VIENNA (AP) 鈥� Austria’s domestic intelligence service has uncovered a weapons cache in Vienna that is believed to be linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas for use in “possible terrorist attacks in Europe,鈥� the government said Thursday.
A 39-year-old unidentified British citizen allegedly 鈥渉aving close ties to the weapons cache鈥� was arrested in London on Monday, the interior ministry statement said.
鈥淎ccording to the current state of the investigation, Israeli or Jewish institutions in Europe were likely to be the targets of these attacks,鈥� it added.
The weapons cache and the suspect were part of an internationally coordinated investigation by the country’s Directorate for State Security and Intelligence service, or DSN, 鈥渋nto a global terrorist organization with ties to Hamas.鈥�
In the course of the investigations, the ministry said its intelligence service found 鈥渟uspicion that a group has brought weapons into Austria to use in possible terrorist attacks in Europe.鈥�
Germany鈥檚 federal prosecutor鈥檚 office later on Thursday identified the suspect as Mohammed A. in line with German privacy lines. It said in a statement that he met up twice with on suspicion of plotting attacks on Israeli or .
鈥淥n these occasions, Mohammed A. took over five handguns and ammunition from Abed Al G. He then transported the weapons to Austria and stored them in Vienna,鈥� the prosecutor鈥檚 statement said. 鈥淭hese actions served to prepare terrorist attacks on Israeli or Jewish facilities in Germany.鈥�
The statement said that 鈥渁fter his extradition from Great Britain,鈥� the suspect will be brought before an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Germany.
In a statement at the time, Hamas denied having any connection to the suspects arrested in Germany last month, describing the allegations of a link to the group as baseless. The group has carried out hundreds of attacks against Israeli civilians over the years but has rarely operated outside Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The weapons cache, which is thought belongs to unspecified foreign operations linked to Hamas, was discovered in a suitcase in a rented storage room in Vienna and contained five handguns and 10 accompanying magazines.
鈥淭he current case shows once again that the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence has an excellent international network and takes consistent action against all forms of extremism,” Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said. “The mission is clear: zero tolerance for terrorists.鈥�
Britain鈥檚 National Crime Agency confirmed on Thursday that the 39-year-old was arrested in central London on Monday by specialist officers from the NCA鈥檚 National Extradition Unit. He is being held in custody until his next appearance at Westminster Magistrates鈥� Court on Monday.
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