The authorities of Germany have opened an investigation to clarify a possible Russian involvement in the discovery of a stash of weapons in a forest near Berlin. In the place, two pistols were located that, according to the initial inquiries, could be related to operations of the Russian intelligence services.
In a press conference held this Friday, the Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt, has pointed out that it is suspected that the hideout is linked to espionage activities and the possible preparation of a serious attack aimed at jeopardizing state security.
The Interior Minister has added that "the participation of foreign powers" cannot be ruled out, while the broadcasters NDR, WDR, and the newspaper 'Süddeutsche Zeitung' (SZ), citing their own security sources, have directly pointed to Moscow as the main focus of the investigations.
Dobrindt has also explained that an individual has been arrested in Romania in connection with this case, as the alleged person responsible for hiding the weapons, and that the episode "falls within scenarios of hybrid threats, without making it clear at the moment that there is a relationship between this case and other recent incidents."
The minister has detailed that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the domestic intelligence service, became aware last October of the possible existence of a cache of weapons in a forest on the outskirts of the German capital. In coordination with the police, the hideout was located and two handguns and ammunition were found.
According to Dobrindt, the weapons and ammunition were rendered inoperable or replaced, and the hideout remained under surveillance to try to identify the individuals who might come to recover them. "This surveillance has yielded no results," he specified.
The German security forces suspect that the material found was intended for the commission of attacks. The minister has also pointed to indications of attack plans on Romanian territory, without clarifying whether they would be limited to Romania or if they could also extend to other points in Germany.
According to Dobrindt, the arrested individual is considered a "low-level agent." This type of profile, also known as "disposable agents," are not professional spies, but second-order collaborators at the service of foreign intelligence services.