STA, 17 January 2020 - The German police evacuated and closed off sections of Frankfurt Airport on Saturday afternoon due to a security threat posed by a Slovenian citizen. The 38-year-old, who was not wearing a face mask, was arrested, reported the German Federal Police on its website. The Slovenian police have not yet been notified of the incident.
The Slovenian was approached by police officers for failing to wear a protective mask. The man responded aggressively.
"I'll kill you all, Allah is great," he threatened and then attempted to escape, leaving his luggage behind. Parts of the airport were cordoned off due to the security threat presented by the abandoned baggage.
The piece of luggage was later found to be harmless and the man, a familiar face to the police, was arrested and detained. He is being investigated due to making treats and resisting arrest, the police said.
The police spokesperson said later that the Slovenian was deemed the main suspect. His motive has not yet been established.
He has been moved to a psychiatric hospital since it was not possible to question him. He is accompanied by a woman, allegedly his wife, who is considered a witness.
The Slovenian police contacted the German authorities following media reports and were notified of the incident on Sunday, the General Police Administration (GPU) said, adding that the suspect had held a German residence permit for a while.
The investigation is ongoing, including efforts to establish the circumstances of the incident, the GPU said. "The German police have not found the motive so far and have no information on the Slovenian citizen's involvement in plots against the state's security."
Near the time of the incident, airport authorities received a separate report of an armed man being sighted at the same terminal. The police then sealed off additional parts of the airport due to a chance of the two events being related.
The presence of any armed suspects was later ruled out and the closed sections of the airport and its train station were reopened. The investigation in the alleged gun sighting is ongoing.
