A man suspected to be a former RAF terrorist has been arrested on an ICE train at Berlin-Spandau station. The individual is reportedly Burkhard Garweg, a former member of the Red Army Faction (RAF). Witnesses initially believed the man was Ernst-Volker Staub, another RAF operative.
The Lower Saxony Criminal Investigation Department (LKA) confirmed that the arrest followed a tip from the public, leading to a joint operation with the Federal Police. The identification of the individual is currently underway, though the spokesperson could not provide an estimated timeframe for its completion. The LKA representative stated that the arrest was related to the search for Burkhard Garweg (55) and Ernst-Volker Staub (69).
The Federal Police did not confirm some questions from the press, but they did acknowledge that a police operation took place on Tuesday evening at Berlin-Spandau station. No further details were provided.
Previous arrests and ongoing investigations
In February, another RAF associate was apprehended. On July 18, a significant police operation occurred in Berlin following reports that Staub had been recognized on a passenger ship on the Spree River.
Since 2015, the Verden Public Prosecutor’s Office has been investigating former RAF terrorists Ernst-Volker Staub, Daniela Klette, and Burkhard Garweg for attempted murder and serious robbery in several cases. Daniela Klette was arrested in Berlin-Kreuzberg at the end of February, while Staub and Garweg remain at large. The RAF, responsible for over 30 deaths, disbanded in 1998.