Jakob Scharf, Director General of the Danish Security Intelligence Service: 

“At 02:00 AM on 4 September 2007, the Danish Security Intelligence Service (PET) carried out a large police operation during which eight persons were arrested and searches were carried out at 11 premises in the Copenhagen area. The operation went according to plan and peacefully. The operation is the preliminary result of an investigation against the persons arrested who are suspected of planning a terrorist attack involving the use of explosives. 

The persons arrested are all men of foreign origin aged from 19 to 29 years. Six of the suspects are Danish nationals and two are foreign nationals holding residence permits in Denmark. The eight suspects have been charged for attempt to violate Section 114 of the Danish Criminal Code regarding terrorism. 

The arrests were carried out by PET’s Special Operations, Response Team and Surveillance Team duly assisted by forensic experts and explosives experts. For security reasons during the searches, it was found necessary to evacuate the residents in a building in the Copenhagen Northwest residential area.  

PET’s investigation have demonstrated that persons among the arrested have obtained material to be used for the manufacturing of explosives and the police operation should be seen in the light of PET now having assessed that sufficient investigational basis has been procured to take such steps as to carry out arrests in this case. However, the operation has also been necessary for security reasons, as the case involves the manufacturing of unstable explosives in a flat in a densely built-up residential area of Copenhagen. 

It is the assessment of PET that these arrests have prevented a terrorist attack and the specific case has not led to changes in PET’s general threat assessment regarding Denmark. 

However, as has also been highlighted in PET’s current threat assessments, the arrests only serve to underline that there are groups and individuals in Denmark who have the will, ability and capacity to commit terrorist acts.

In the assessment of PET, the main persons of this case must be considered militant Islamists with international connections involving direct relations to Al Qaeda.

After a court hearing on 4 September 2007 the two main suspects arrested by PET has been remanded in custody, and the case has been assigned to the Copenhagen Police who will be in charge of further investigation of the case in co-operation with PET.”