Albania transfers IS terror cell suspect to Germany

Albania has transferred to Germany a Tajik man accused of being part of a cell of the Islamic State group that allegedly planned to attack U.S. military facilities in Germany, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The suspect, identified only as Komron B. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested on his arrival at Frankfurt airport on Monday, federal prosecutors said in a statement. Four other Tajiks were arrested in Germany in mid-April and their alleged leader was taken into custody in March 2019.

Prosecutors said Komron B. and the other suspects joined IS in January 2019 and founded a cell in Germany on the group's instructions, initially intending to travel to Tajikistan and fight that country's government. They then allegedly changed plans and decided to carry out attacks in Germany, either on U.S. military facilities or on individuals — including an unidentified person living in Germany who they considered critical of Islam.

As part of their efforts to raise money for their plans and for IS, one of the cell's members traveled to Albania to carry out a contract killing for $40,000 but the plan failed, prosecutors said. He and another suspect who had traveled with him then returned to Germany.

Komron B. was arrested in Albania on April 29.

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