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| Explosive device found near German market 'targeted DHL' | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A suspicious package that prompted the evacuation of a Christmas market near Berlin on Friday was not terror-related but part of an attempt to blackmail the German logistics firm DHL, police say. | A suspicious package that prompted the evacuation of a Christmas market near Berlin on Friday was not terror-related but part of an attempt to blackmail the German logistics firm DHL, police say. |
| The delivery of the parcel containing nails and an improvised explosive device to a pharmacy in the city of Potsdam triggered the temporary evacuation of the nearby Christmas market. | The delivery of the parcel containing nails and an improvised explosive device to a pharmacy in the city of Potsdam triggered the temporary evacuation of the nearby Christmas market. |
| Germany remains on high alert for potential terrorist attacks nearly a year after a Tunisian Islamist rammed a hijacked articulated lorry into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 11 people. | Germany remains on high alert for potential terrorist attacks nearly a year after a Tunisian Islamist rammed a hijacked articulated lorry into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 11 people. |
| But officials on Sunday ruled out a terror motive in the latest incident after finding a blackmail letter targeted at DHL, whose services were used to deliver the parcel. | But officials on Sunday ruled out a terror motive in the latest incident after finding a blackmail letter targeted at DHL, whose services were used to deliver the parcel. |
| “The good news is that we can say, with all likelihood, that the package was not aimed at the Christmas market,” said the Brandenburg state interior minister, Karl-Heinz Schröter. “The bad news is it was a blackmail attempt targeting the DHL delivery service.” | “The good news is that we can say, with all likelihood, that the package was not aimed at the Christmas market,” said the Brandenburg state interior minister, Karl-Heinz Schröter. “The bad news is it was a blackmail attempt targeting the DHL delivery service.” |
| Brandenburg state’s police president, Hans-Jürgen Mörke, said investigators had spent Saturday reassembling a piece of paper with a QR code, which had been torn to shreds during the controlled explosion of the parcel. The QR code contained a message directed at DHL, asking for a sum of several million euros in blackmail money. | Brandenburg state’s police president, Hans-Jürgen Mörke, said investigators had spent Saturday reassembling a piece of paper with a QR code, which had been torn to shreds during the controlled explosion of the parcel. The QR code contained a message directed at DHL, asking for a sum of several million euros in blackmail money. |
| Linking Friday’s events to the delivery of a similar parcel in Frankfurt on the Oder in early November, Schröter said current investigations suggested that the blackmailer was acting mainly in the Berlin and Brandenburg area. | Linking Friday’s events to the delivery of a similar parcel in Frankfurt on the Oder in early November, Schröter said current investigations suggested that the blackmailer was acting mainly in the Berlin and Brandenburg area. |
| Authorities also confirmed that the device could have exploded and seriously injured people. | Authorities also confirmed that the device could have exploded and seriously injured people. |
| DHL has so far declined to comment on the case, according to Bild newspaper. | DHL has so far declined to comment on the case, according to Bild newspaper. |
| The German logistics market leader, which is part of Deutsche Post, delivered 1.2bn parcels in the country last year, including 8.4m packages on its Christmas peak day alone. | The German logistics market leader, which is part of Deutsche Post, delivered 1.2bn parcels in the country last year, including 8.4m packages on its Christmas peak day alone. |