German authorities, after finding significant quantities of a highly toxic substance (ricin) in the apartment of a 29-year-old Tunisian, Sief Allah H, arrested him on suspicion of violating the German War Weapons Control Act (known as Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz). and to be in the process of "preparing a serious act of violence against the state".
German intelligence reportedly received a tip last month after the man made online purchases: a coffee grinder and about 1.000 castor beans. German authorities have since started monitoring the suspect's movements in the German city of Cologne. In June, police found the man had produced enough ricin to deliver up to 1.000 lethal doses. German journalist Der Spiegelsaid said the suspect had created ricin following instructions posted online by the Islamic State.
The processing of castor beans creates a more potent by-product than many other toxic substances, such as cyanide. Entering the human body, ricin can cause multiple organ failure in less than two days. There is still no known antidote.
German media reported that "Sief Allah H." he is a sympathizer of the Islamic State. However, investigators found no direct link between him and militant organizations in Germany or abroad. Furthermore, no evidence has yet been provided that he planned an actual attack, in Germany or elsewhere. However, officials from the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution said it is "very likely that the arrest of Sief Allah H. averted a terrorist attack ".
Over the weekend, several other apartments in Cologne were raided by the German authorities. The German government agency is in charge of monitoring public health risks.