The captured asylum seeker terrorist who later killed himself in prison, Jaber al-Bakr, purchased components for his bomb using Amazon gift cards.
Jaber al-Bakr was captured by German police who discovered that the Syrian migrant was actively building a bomb hoping to conduct an act of terror in the city of Chemnitz. Authorities have now revealed that various components al-Bakr had purchased to build his explosive device came were bought using untraceable gift cards from the online retailer Amazon, reports Focus.
Between the 8th of September and the 7th October al-Bakr had made 23 orders from the online retail giant under the false name “Khalil A.” Among the purchases was two pints of pure sulfuric acid, several pints of hydrogen peroxide, nine pounds of mineral fertiliser, along with measuring cups, funnels, and stirring rods.
Al-Bakr even used Amazon to purchase a hard shell case which he wanted to use as the casing for his bomb. All of the ingredients were then delivered to an apartment in Chemnitz. He used a combination of credit cards and at least four amazon gift cards worth some €250. The gift cards can be purchased at retail shops in cash making them much harder to trace than a credit card.
Investigators were able to comb through al-Bakr’s internet communications and discovered that he had done extensive research into various types of bombs and explosives including making a request for acids and fertiliser at the German construction chain Obi. He downloaded a bomb-making manual entitled, “The People’s Explosives” which is directed toward jihadists.
Despite making all of the purchases from the same retailer, no red flags were raised with the police. The tip that led to the capture of al-Bakr came from fellow Syrian asylum seekers who had recognised that he was a jihadist sympathiser having been radicalised in Germany. Police questioned al-Bakr who tried to claim his landlord or his brother had made the purchases.
Police also discovered a ticket to Berlin in his possession which countered his story saying he had never been anywhere but Chemnitz, Saxony. Authorities believe that the target for his terror attack would have been the airport in Berlin.
After only two days in custody al-Bakr took his own life leading to an outcry from politicians and the public who questioned how he was able to do so and demanded an internal investigation.