ISIS terror suspect is caught by cops in Germany after applying to work as a security guard at Euro 2024 – just days before championship kicks-off

Anti-terror police inside Germany have arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of a ISIS terrorist – after he was caught trying to sneak in Euro 2024 football tournament as a security guard.

The suspect, named only as Soufian T, is said to have applied for work security during ‘side events’ outside a stadium in Germany, where the tournament will take place in less than a week.

Authorities who reviewed his application found that he was considered a potential Islamist thread by state security services. It prompted the Cologne police to attack Soufian, a German-Moroccan-Polish national, at Cologne-Bonn airport.

He was arrested along with his mother and sister; Mobile phones and €2,500 in cash were seized. He had booked a one-way ticket to Istanbul last month, fueling their suspicions that he was involved in terrorist plots.

Safety officials claim he had also applied for safety accreditations at other major German events, namely the Nürburgring 24-hour motorsport endurance race and Rock am Ring, a music festival also held at the circuit.

German counter-terrorism police will take part in an operational exercise in Stuttgart in May, ahead of the Euro 2024 tournament starting next week

A man named Soufian T was arrested by German police at Cologne-Bonn Airport (pictured) on suspicion of involvement in ISIS terror plots

The suspect is said to have applied to be a guard at the Euro 2024 tournament

Reports suggest the suspect had ties to ISIS, the so-called Islamic State group (file photo)

After he was arrested, Soufian’s apartment was searched and data storage devices, phones and computers were seized.

Federal investigators from the BKD – Germany’s answer to the FBI – also seized data on bank accounts and online activities.

His mother appeared before an investigating judge at the German Federal Court of Justice and claimed that they were making a pilgrimage to Mecca and planned to continue their journey to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

The study, first reported by The sun, is ongoing. MailOnline has contacted BKD and Cologne police for further comment.

We previously reported how the German police did this has drawn up a robust policing plan for the euro, which starts on June 14. Up to 12 million people are expected to travel to the country, many of whom do not even have stadium tickets.

Police will be equipped to deal with terrorist threats, violent hooligans and organized crime – with 22,000 federal officers at borders, stadiums, public viewing areas such as fan zones and travel hubs such as airports and train stations.

Annual leave is prohibited for serving officers for the duration of the tournament.

Germany has also invited around 300 security experts to take part in an international monitoring project to gather information on potential threats during the tournament.

The country is introducing enhanced border controls to counter “football-related threats… in addition to the risks arising from the global security situation”, the European Commission said.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said last week that the country was prepared for “all conceivable dangers.” EuroNews reports.

‘Wherever large numbers of people are on the move, there will be a strong police presence. This will be a major effort for state and federal law enforcement, but it is also critical to the tournament,” she said.

The suspect is said to have applied for work at the Nürburgring 24-hour race and at the Euros (file photo from the 2017 race)

Investigators say he also applied for a job at another major German event: the Rock am Ring music festival at the Nürburgring (pictured)

However, Germany is still reeling from a knife attack during an anti-Islam rally involving a police officer stabbed to death by a man said to be an Afghan migrant.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said earlier this week: ‘What happened in Mannheim – the fatal knife attack on a young police officer – is an expression of the misanthropic ideology of radical Islamism.

‘There is only one term for that: terror. Let’s declare war on terror.’

Last month, police in France arrested an 18-year-old, Rokhman B, on suspicion of conspiring with ISIS to carry out a violent attack on Saint-Etienne’s Geoffrey-Guichard Stadium during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Le Parisien reported that the teenager planned to carry out an ‘Islamist-inspired’ attack during the athletics event – planning to attack spectators outside the stadium.

Euro 2024 kicks off on Friday and England start the tournament fresh after losing 1-0 to Iceland in their final warm-up match. The first match is against Serbia on Sunday.

Ex-England defender Jamie Carragher has predicted that the Three Lions will fall short at the European Championship – and that whoever beats England will do so too. proceed to collect the trophy.