A student has been arrested for allegedly planning an Islamic State attack on a Christmas market in Poland.
Jacek Dobrzyński, the spokesman for the security services, announced yesterday that the detained suspect is a first-year law student at the Catholic University of Lublin in eastern Poland whose surname, in accordance with Polish privacy laws, cannot be published.
Dobrzyński revealed, though, that the man is a 19-year-old Pole who comes from a devoutly Catholic family who allegedly became “deeply infatuated with Islam” and had “fallen in love with terrorism” before seeking to establish contact with Islamic State.
According to the security services the man who was arrested on November 30 is “suspected of preparing a mass attack at a Christmas market, which he planned to carry out using explosive materials”.
The suspect had allegedly been acquiring knowledge about how to independently produce materials that could be used for such an attack.
“He also planned to join a terrorist organisation to obtain assistance in implementing the intended actions. His goal was to kill and intimidate people, as well as to support Islamic State,” the security services spokesman alleged.
Prosecutors overseeing the case have confirmed that the detained student had been engaging in conversations and establishing contacts with representatives of Islamic State but admitted that his actions had not gone beyond the preparation phase.
The man’s phone records allegedly suggest he was planning an attack in a public space such as a Christmas market but no specific location had been cited.
Security services have seized devices belonging to the suspect, including literature and items relating to Islam. Should he be convicted, he could serve a jail sentence of up to 12 years.
Appealing to parents for vigilance, the security services spokesman said: “If you see your children interested in Islam, communism, or fascism and collecting all sorts of information and items on the subject, that’s the first sign.
“Take care of your own children, because things can only get worse from there”.
Poland has a growing migrant population but one which is still dominated by Ukrainians and Belarusians rather than any significant Muslim community.
Christmas markets are highly popular in Polish towns and cities and the authorities have long suspected that they could become a prime target for any future terrorist attacks.
Poland has thus far been able to stop any terrorist attacks but this year, for the first time, the city of Kraków has felt forced to install concrete barriers around the market square. That is to protect its Christmas market from potential attack by car or truck, of the kind that has taken place in western Europe.
The organisers of Warsaw’s main Christmas market have also decided to use concrete barriers in the aftermath of the detention of the Lubin suspect.
They assured those wishing to visit the market that it has a 24-hour security system including electronic monitoring in place to ensure safety.
