Kelly Sinclair
German police have concluded that a 28 -year -old market trader arrested for the bomb attack on Borussia Dortmund’s team, was motivated by financial greed and not terror.
The German-Russian citizen was arrested on Friday in Germany on suspicion of bombing the bus carrying the Borussia Dortmund soccer team in an attack last week.
One player were injured during the blasts as the bus headed towards a champions League match against AS Monaco. A policeman was also wounded.
It appears the perpetrator tried to cover his tracks by staging it as IS attack. Investigators found notes at the scene but quickly doubted their authenticity.
Federal prosecutors said the suspect, identified only as Sergej W. in keeping with German privacy law, was arrested by a police tactical response team in the Tuebingen area early Friday.
He faces charges of attempted murder, causing an explosion and serious bodily harm.
Prosecutors revealed that the suspect had bought a large number of so-called put options for shares of Borussia Dortmund.
He planned to profit from the sale of the 15,000 shares when their value fell, said prosecutors.
“A significant share price drop could have been expected if a player had been seriously injured or even killed as a result of the attack,” they said.
The suspect had booked into the team’s hotel in Dortmund and placed three explosives, packed with shrapnel, along the route the bus would take to reach the stadium, prosecutors said.
“The explosive devices were detonated at the optimum time,” they said, noting that the team bus was equipped only with security glass and not reinforced glass.
Several windows on the bus were shattered in the blasts, injuring defender Marc Bartra, who underwent surgery. Then last had a radius of over 100 metres.
The explosive devices containing metal pieces appear to have been hidden in a hedge and were set off as the bus passed.
The match was cancelled as a result.
