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Cleared Christmas market in Düsseldorf (December 5, 2022)
Photo: Erich Reimann / dpa
After a threat against Düsseldorf Christmas markets in early December, investigators identified a “possible suspect” in Lower Saxony.
It was a minor from the Osnabrück area, as the police in Düsseldorf and the public prosecutor's office in Celle announced on Monday.
They did not give any further details, citing his age.
Accordingly, there had been a search on Friday with the participation of a special police task force.
There was no talk of an arrest.
The investigation was ongoing, it said.
The operation was the result of "meticulous investigative work" by the state security of the Düsseldorf police.
According to the "Bild" newspaper, the suspect is only 15 years old.
On December 5, he is said to have threatened criminal offenses at Düsseldorf Christmas markets and at a school in Münster, among other places.
According to the report, the suspect technically changed the number on his phone, but the investigators were still able to track him down.
The threats against the Christmas markets in downtown Düsseldorf prompted the police to evacuate them as a precaution.
At the time, the emergency services spoke of an "abstract threat" to which they responded according to the "safety first" principle.
However, the authorities did not provide any further information on the nature of the threat then or now.
wit/dpa/AFP