Berlin bomb: police considering “crime gang” motive

Police investigating the cause of the Berlin Bomb on Tuesday morning now believe that the bomb may have been intended to assassinate the driver as part of an organised crime feud. The fear that the driver was a suicide bomber whose bomb blew up before he reached his target has been ruled out.

The car a silver VC Passat, blew up at approximately 8am as it was being driven along a street in the wealthy Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The force of the blast threw the vehicle into the air and fatally injuring the driver, who was pulled from the wreckage by passers by but died moments later. Damage to the car was in the middle and underneath, and a spokesperson from the State Prosecutor’s office later told reporters that they believed the bomb had been attached to the underside of the vehicle.

Residents in the immediate vicinity of the blast were told to stay indoors, to close windows and curtains and to stay in rooms which did not overlook the street. Police checked the car and surrounding area to ensure there was no second device and then gave residents the all-clear.

Police have now reported that they believe the late driver was of Turkish origin who lived a short distance away from the explosion. He has been named only as “Mesut T” and is thought to have had links with gangs operating in Berlin’s underworld and involved with counterfeit money. He is thought to have a criminal conviction for supply cocaine.

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