A foreigner detained in Prague on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack is facing a life sentence. He is accused of trying to set fire to buses in a depot in the northeast of the city. Prime Minister Peter Fiala claims that Russia may be behind the crime. This is reported by Denik.
“Thanks to the help of the public, the anti-extremism department managed to arrest a man suspected of a serious crime,” the police said in a statement.
Earlier, police imposed heightened security measures in the city due to the possibility of an attack on infrastructure.
The 26-year-old suspect arrived in the Czechia from South America a few days before he was arrested. The buses he allegedly planned to set on fire on Friday. Authorities were raising the terror threat level in the country. Police patrols guarded train and bus stations and shopping centers. The city still maintains a special security regime for public places, shopping centers and transportation.
Prime Minister Fiala said the arson attack could have been part of Moscow's hybrid warfare.
“There is a suspicion that the attack was organized and financed from Russia,” iDNES quoted him as saying.
Intelligence agencies in several Western countries say Russia has organized a series of arson attacks on civilian targets in Europe to influence arms supplies to Ukraine. The campaign to undermine their allies' military support for Kiev is being led by the GRU military intelligence service, The New York Times piece claimed.
In late May, nine people were arrested in Poland on suspicion of committing sabotage ordered by Russian intelligence services. Moscow denies the charges.
