Concerns over Paris links in Bavaria
November 14, 2015
With France under a state of emergency and European countries on edge after the deadly attacks in the French capital, news emerged on Saturday morning of a German arrest which raised concerns about other actors in the violence.
Originally reported by Bavarian public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, a 51-year-old man from Montenegro was stopped by police on November 5.
His car was subjected to a thorough search after police on the scene found a gun barrel in the vehicle. Several automatic handguns, hand grenades and explosives were uncovered in the shake-down.
A spokesperson from the State Office of Criminal Investigation confirmed the report to Reuters news agency.
However, he declined to speculate on any link between the arrest and the Paris assassins.
"Arms trafficking is a well-established business," the spokesperson said.
According to Bayerischer Runkfunk, Bavarian authorities had notified their French counterparts immediately after the incident because they had reason to believe he was travelling to Paris.
Officials in France say that at least 120 people were killed in Paris during a string of attacks across the city on Friday night. France is now under a state of emergency, with military on the streets and the borders closed.
On Saturday morning, French President Francois Hollande blamed the killings on "Islamic State," calling the incident an "act of war."
kms/jlw (Reuters, dpa)