GERMAN POLICE HAVE arrested the suspected perpetrator of a bomb attack on Borussia Dortmund’s team bus, the public prosecutor’s office said, indicating his motive was financial and not terror-related.
Anti-terror police working on behalf of the federal prosecutor’s office “have arrested a 28-year-old German-Russian national, Sergej W.,” a statement said, indicating the suspect was hoping to profit from a drop in the football team’s share price as a result of the attack.
Investigations had focused on a letter claiming responsibility for the attack that was found close to the site of the blasts. However, police have determined since the arrest that the attack was financially motivated.
Germany had been on high alert since a series of jihadist attacks last year, including the Christmas market truck assault in Berlin in December which claimed 12 lives.
The explosives detonated minutes after Borussia Dortmund’s team bus pulled away from the squad’s hotel and headed for their quarter-final, first-leg, tie against Monaco.
The bus had set off for the Borussia stadium about 10 kilometres away when “three explosive charges detonated” police said.
The explosives, which went off shortly after 7pm (5pm GMT), were hidden in a hedge and were set off as the bus passed.
The blast shattered the bus windows and the vehicle was burned on the right hand side.
“The bus turned onto the main road, when there was a huge noise, a big explosion,” Dortmund’s Swiss goalkeeper Roman Burki told Swiss media.
“After the bang, we all crouched down in the bus. Anyone who could, threw himself on the floor.
“We did not know if more would come.”
With reporting by - © AFP 2017
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