German police have detained a senior member of the PKK terrorist organisation in Hamburg, authorities have said, as part of a broader operation targeting the terror group’s activities across the country.
The 54-year-old suspect was taken into custody on strong suspicion of membership and a leadership role in a foreign terrorist organisation, according to Saxony state police on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said he oversaw PKK activities in Hamburg and previously headed the group’s presence in Saxony from 2015 to 2018, coordinating its network in neighbouring Poland and the Czech Republic.
Two other suspects’ properties searched
Investigators allege the suspect supervised regional PKK officials, organised propaganda events, and led annual fundraising campaigns.
Searches of properties linked to two other suspects yielded mobile phones, storage devices, documents, and large amounts of cash.
The PKK has been banned in Germany since 1993 but remains active, with an estimated 15,000 followers according to the domestic intelligence agency BfV.
Europol classifies the PKK as a separatist terrorist group, and German authorities say its networks are capable of violence if directed by leaders abroad.
