Suspect held in Germany over weapons find 'wanted to visit Paris'

A man arrested in Germany with explosives and Kalashnikovs in his car said he was on his way to Paris "to see the Eiffel Tower" and refused to discuss the jihadist attacks, police said Sunday.

"We want to talk (about the Paris attacks) with him but he doesn't want to talk. Not about this subject in any case," a spokesman for police in southern Bavaria said.

Police arrested the 51-year-old man from Montenegro on November 5 during a routine check on a Bavaria motorway.

Police said in a statement that an address in Paris was found on a written note in the car as well as in his sat nav system, along with eight assault rifles, three handguns and explosives.

The suspect said he "wanted to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and then return home" and had "no knowledge (of the presence) of arms and explosives" in his vehicle, a police statement said.

The navigation system of his VW Golf car showed he had travelled "from Montenegro to Croatia, Slovenia, Austria" before being stopped in Rosenheim, the statement added.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Saturday the authorities had yet to establish any link between the suspect and the gunmen in Paris.

But earlier Saturday Bavarian state premier Horst Seehofer said that there was "reason to believe" he was connected to the attackers.

At least 129 people were killed late Friday in a shooting and bombing spree targeting several venues in Paris.

Source: AFP