The bomb dummy at Potsdam Christmas market was used by investigators to blackmail DHL parcel supplier. The perpetrators are still being searched. This was said by Brandenburg’s interior Minister Karl-Heinz Schröter (SPD) at a press conference on Sunday afternoon in Potsdam. This makes it clear that threat with “certainty of probability” did not have Christmas market in city centre of Brandenburg state capital.
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According to investigators, a threat letter from destroyed package could be reconstructed. This is result of blackmail against DHL. According to information, perpetrators are presumably from Berlin/Brandenburg area. It is now determined because of attempted predatory blackmail and cause of an explosive explosion.
The message was in form of a so-called QR code, but could be clearly reconstructed, said police president Hans-Jürgen Mörke. Address and sender on package would contain “conspicuous spelling errors”. “Furr such shipments are likely according to current investigative status,” said Mörke. “The perpetrators consciously take damage of life and health of people into purchase.”
Letter refers to previous parcel shipment
The package delivered by a pharmacist at Potsdam Christmas market was very dangerous, according to latest findings from police. It would have caused severe injuries in event of an explosion, Schröter said. First of all, it was said by authorities that bomb was merely a dummy, since no detonator had been installed. In meantime, however, explosives have been analyzed again, says Mörke.
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At beginning of November a similar package was sent to an online retailer in Frankfurt (or), said Mörke. This was on fire on opening. In this way blackmailer’s writing was burned. In Potsdam programme, however, reference was made to first act.
The police advise caution with regard to unknown packages, which could be sent primarily to smaller companies or private individuals. For example, clues are unknown senders, misspellings or even package of excellent wires, declared police on Sunday in Potsdam. In case of doubt, police should be informed.
“Very well imitated explosives”
On Friday, a suspicious package was delivered to a pharmacist who has his business directly at Christmas market. The shipment was delivered by a postal service. It contained a tin box with hundreds of nails, batteries and wires and a firework that is illegal due to security flaws in Germany. On Friday, Interior Minister Schröter first spoke of a very well imitated explosive body. For manhunt, police set up an investigation group in which about 25 criminologists work.
In pharmacy, employees were suspected and police were alerted. This set up a blocking circle that also affected parts of Christmas market. Experts from federal Police n shot package with a special jet of water. An ignition device was not found in following. According to investigators, it would not have been a viable bomb.
In opinion of investigators, package bomb was only accidentally landed directly at Christmas market. The offender did not know wher package will be opened directly at pharmacy at Christmas market.
On Saturday, Christmas market in Potsdam opened with more stringent security measures. Police and city sent additional strips to market, even officials with machine guns were in use.
