German police on Friday arrested the suspected perpetrator of a bomb attack on Borussia Dortmund’s team bus, the public prosecutor’s office said, indicating his motive was financial and not terror-related.
Police commandos working on behalf of the federal prosecutor’s office “have arrested a 28-year-old German-Russian national, Sergej W.,” a statement said.
It said the suspect was hoping to profit from a drop in the football team’s share price as a result of the attack.
The incident, which occurred on April 11, saw three explosions go off alongside the team bus minutes after it left the squad’s hotel heading for a quarter-final home match against Monaco.
The blast shattered the bus windows, and Spanish international Marc Bartra, 26, underwent surgery after he was hit by flying glass.
A policeman on a motorcycle escorting the bus suffered trauma from the noise.
The explosive devices containing metal pieces appear to have been hidden in a hedge and were set off as the bus passed. The blast had a radius of more than 100 meters.
The match was postponed for a day.
There were three alleged claims of responsibility for the attack, one of which suggested a terrorists link, but security sources questioned their authenticity, with experts suggesting the aim may have been to put investigators on the wrong track.
Source: AFP
