A British man has been arrested over an alleged key role in a Hamas-linked terror cell that aimed to strike Jewish targets in Germany. The 39-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, now faces extradition to Germany.
He was arrested on Monday (November 3) and then appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on the same day, where he was remanded into custody. The Brit is wanted by the Federal Police in Germany as part of a major counter-terrorism operation, which last month led to the arrest of three men suspected of preparing acts of violence against German Jewish targets on behalf of Hamas. Hamas has previously denied links to the three men and called the allegations unfounded. The National Crime Agency received an extradition request from German prosecutors, which resulted in the arrest of the British suspect in the UK on Monday.
According to ITV News, the British suspect first came to the attention of counter-terrorism police in Germany in June as part of an ongoing investigation into a suspected terror plot.
He is suspected by the German authorities of overseeing the transportation of firearms into the country and allegedly met with a member of the terror cell while under surveillance.
He is set to appear in court via video link next week.
German prosecutors have said the trio, who were arrested in Berlin last month, are Hamas operatives, responsible for sourcing weapons and ammunition to be used in acts of domestic terror targeted at Jewish or Israeli institutions.
“In the course of today’s arrests, various weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle and several pistols, as well as a considerable amount of ammunition, were found,” the federal prosecutors said in their statement published last month.
The men were identified only as German citizens Abed Al G and Ahmad I and Lebanese-born Wael F M, in line with Germany’s privacy laws.
Hamas is banned in Germany and, as in the UK, is classed as a terror group.