A 48-year-old Iraqi man has been arrested on charges of possessing explosives in Poland. The arrest in Lodz comes just days ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to Poland for World Youth Day. Small amounts of explosives, “not sufficient to make an explosion” were found on the man, according to Beata Marczak, spokeswoman for prosecutors in the central Polish city of Lodz said. He could face up to eight years in prison if convicted on charges of illegal possession of explosives, she added. Explosive traces were found on the man’s luggage and clothes at hotels in Lodz and Krakow, news channel Polsat News reported. The man was reportedly arrested at a hotel in Lodz on Sunday and was reportedly in possession of notes on preparing terrorist acts against French supermarkets in Poland. The man was reportedly questioned by the Internal Security Agency in English and put under two months’ arrest. Marczak said there are as yet no legal grounds for categorizing this as terrorism,” Marczak said.
The Catholic Herald notes:
Border Guards have denied entry to some 200 people since July 4, when Poland introduced temporary border controls due to the world youth meeting and the NATO summit that was held in Warsaw July 8-9. People attending Pope Francis’s meetings with world youth in Poland have been told to expect detailed security checks before entering, Polish police has said.
And today we celebrate...