Politics
A series of mysterious explosions has continued this week in Frankfurt, a city in central Germany, and its surrounding areas. Police are investigating possible links to organized crime.
A series of mysterious explosions has continued this week in Frankfurt, a city in central Germany, and its surrounding areas. Police are investigating possible links to organized crime. On Thursday morning, two improvised explosive devices detonated in Frankfurt within a few minutes of each other. One damaged a café in the eastern part of the city, while the other targeted a popular shisha bar on Zeil, one of Germany’s best-known shopping streets. According to local media, the second explosion was so powerful that it also damaged another bar and a bank office across the street. One resident who was awakened by the blast described the scene as resembling a “war.” Following the explosions, police arrested a 17-year-old Dutch national. No further details about the suspect have been released.
The explosions are the latest in a series of similar incidents in the Frankfurt area. Three explosions occurred within a 24-hour period between Sunday and Monday, targeting a café, a bar, and a kiosk in Frankfurt and nearby Offenbach. No injuries have been reported. According to police, a 15-year-old Dutch national was arrested following one of the attacks. The Hessian State Criminal Police Office said that a double-digit number of similar incidents are currently under investigation. Authorities suspect that some of the incidents may be linked to so-called “violence as a service,” in which criminal networks outsource acts of violence to third parties and often recruit young offenders online or through social media. Frankfurt police have previously described the practice as an emerging form of organized crime in which minors, including those recruited from abroad, are hired to carry out violent acts.
Hessian police have warned that the trend represents a new dimension of serious organized crime and poses a “considerable” threat to public safety. The latest explosions occurred as Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt presented a report on organized crime in Germany, describing it as a “growing threat.” He said criminal groups are becoming more professional, brutal, and ruthless, and pledged to step up efforts against criminal networks. According to the Interior Ministry, around 700 investigations into organized crime were launched last year, involving approximately 8,000 suspects—the highest number recorded in five years.
