A fifth alleged member of a European Hamas terrorist network was arrested upon entering Germany on Tuesday, the German Federal Public Prosecutor General's office (GBA announced on Wednesday, allegedly part of a plot that spanned Denmark, Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom.
Lebanese-born “Borhan El-K.” was arrested when entering Germany from Czechia for his alleged role in supplying firearms and munitions to network members for planned attacks against Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany and Europe, at large.
While the suspect is not a Danish citizen, according to a senior public prosecutor, he resided in Denmark and may have been attempting to return there through Germany. Danish authorities reportedly searched Borhan El-K.’s residence in Copenhagen and arrested another suspect in the surrounding area.
The prosecutor’s office charged Borhan El-K. with membership in a foreign terrorist organization. The investigation into the network is ongoing.
In August, Borhan El-K. allegedly provided alleged Hamas operative “Wael FM,” who was arrested in Berlin in October, with a Kalashnikov automatic rifle, eight Glock pistols, and 600 rounds of ammunition.
Charged with membership in a foreign terrorist organization
The Lebanese-born Wael FM was arrested on October 1 alongside two other suspected Hamas operatives, German nationals “Abed Al G.” and “Ahmad I.”
The three men were charged with membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparation of a serious act of violence harming the state.
Last Monday, British citizen “Mohammed A.” was arrested in London for allegedly meeting with Abed Al G. in Berlin in July and August and was given weapons to transport and store in Austria.
The Directorate State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN) announced last Thursday that it had uncovered a weapons cache of five handguns and 10 magazines in a rented Vienna storage unit. The DSN said the 39-year-old Mohammed A. had stored the weapons in a suitcase as part of an alleged Hamas plot to target Israeli or Jewish institutions.
Die Welt reported on Tuesday that Mohammad A. was the son of Hamas official Bassem Naim.
Mathilda Heller contributed to this report.