A 36-year-old Tunisian man suspected of supporting and recruiting on behalf of Daesh was arrested in central Germany early Wednesday amid dozens of counterterrorism raids, Frankfurt's chief prosecutor said.
A total of 54 raids were conducted at apartments, commercial properties and two mosques in the central German state of Hesse, Alexander Badle said, adding that 16 supects aged between 16 and 46 were being investigated.
The Tunisian man is accused of working as a recruiter and trafficker on behalf of Daesh militants and "creating a supporters' network with the aim of preparing a terrorist attack," Badle said.
He added that the plot had been in the early stages and a specific target had not yet been determined.
The investigation leading up to the arrest took four months, said Max Weiss, a spokesman for Hesse's state police department, adding that 150 officers worked "24 hours a day" in an effort to shut down the network.
Separately, three men were arrested during police raids in the German capital Berlin late Tuesday on terrorism-related charges.
