Suspected bomb for Munich-bound plane

A suspected bomb in a suitcase that was to be put on a Germany-bound plane was intercepted in Namibia, German police said yesterday, a day after Berlin issued an alert on a tip about an imminent attack.

The BKA federal police force said the suspicious baggage had been seized Wednesday at the international airport near the capital Windhoek before it was due to be loaded on to an LTU/Air Berlin flight to Munich, southern Germany.

“A subsequent X-ray (of the luggage) revealed batteries that were attached with wires to a detonator and a ticking clock,” it said in a statement.

“Only the ongoing forensic investigation will show whether this was a live explosive.”

Namibian police told state TV that the piece of luggage seized was a laptop bag wrapped in plastic and confirmed it contained wires and a timer.

Passengers on the flight as well as all luggage in the hold and the aircraft itself underwent subsequent checks before the Airbus plane was given clearance to take off. It arrived safely in Munich overnight.

A spokesman for Air Berlin, Germany’s second largest airline, said the baggage had not been checked in.

“It is an unlabelled piece of luggage, which means that its destination was not indicated nor was the airline with which it was to fly. In other words it was an unattended piece of luggage in the hall at Windhoek airport where luggage is processed,” she said.

“It is possible that it only happened to be there at the time the Air Berlin plane was to be loaded.”

But Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said authorities had found “several indications” that the baggage was to be put on the Munich-bound flight.

The plane had 296 passengers and 10 crew members on board and was delayed six hours, the Air Berlin spokesman said.

The German government hiked security measures at rail stations, airports and other public spaces Wednesday following a tip-off from a “foreign partner” about an attack planned this month.

“Since the middle of 2010, the security services have noticed increased indications that the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda has been planning attacks in the United States, in Europe and in Germany,” Mr De Maiziere said.

Citing security sources, the Tagesspiegel daily reported that the US had told Berlin that between two and four Al-Qaeda operatives were on their way to Germany and Britain to attempt attacks.

Among the targets Tagesspiegel cited were Germany’s popular Christmas markets. The paper added the militants were expected to arrive in Germany on November 22 via India or the United Arab Emirates.

Mr De Maiziere yesterday called for calm after a meeting of his counterparts from Germany’s 16 states.

“International terrorism would like to spread fear and horror in our country,” he said. “We will not allow this.”