According to a statement by the prosecutor’s office, the men were charged with “planning to execute an Islamist attack in that they wanted to get toxins — cyanide or ricin — to kill an undetermined number of people”.
The Duesseldorf prosecutor’s office referred to the brothers, who were 32 and 25 years old, as “M. J.” J. J.” respectively.
Holger Heming, Duesseldorf prosecutor, said that an initial search of Castrop-Rauxel’s men’s home did not reveal any toxic substances.
However, the two men will be charged with conspiring to commit murder. This crime could result in a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, according to prosecutors.
The raids were carried out by Castrop-Rauxel agents wearing protective suits to protect against chemical hazards. They took place overnight and into Sunday.
Images taken by NTV showed the men in their underwear and jackets being carried over their shoulders as they were led away.
‘Serious tip’
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated in a statement that “our security forces take every suggestion about Islamist terror threats very seriously” and would act accordingly.
Herbert Reul, the interior minister for the North Rhine-Westphalia area, stated that authorities had received a “serious hint” which prompted the overnight raid.
Local media reports claim that the FBI colleagues alerted the German security agencies to the threat of chemical terror.
According to Spiegel weekly, the American security services have been reported to have infiltrated Telegram chat group. There they “asked about bomb construction plans and then about toxins”.
Ricin, a toxic substance, is classified as a “chemical weapons” in Germany.
Produced from the processing of castor beans, it is lethal in small doses if inhaled, swallowed or injected. It is 6,000 times more potent that cyanide and has no known antidote.
A Tunisian couple were accused of plotting a chemical attack on Germany in 2018.
The couple, who sympathized with the Islamic State group, were found to have 84 milligrams each of ricin in their Cologne apartment.
To build a deadly bomb, the pair ordered explosives, castor seeds and metal ball bearings online.
In 2020, the man was sentenced to 10 year imprisonment and his wife an eight-year sentence.
In recent years, Germany has been the target of several Islamist attacks. This includes a truck attack on a Christmas Market in 2016 that left 12 dead and many others injured.
Five years later, a 13th victim was killed in an assault-related accident.
