Another explosion in Cologne city centre, bombs and hostage-taking in NRW

The detonation occurred around 5 a.m. on Ehrenstrasse, with officers cordoning off the area to conduct a forensic investigation. They also asked residents across the city to avoid the area.

Police suspect that the Mocro mafia is behind the bomb attack

Previous bombings took place in July and August, including a large explosion in a commercial building in central Düsseldorf on July 11. No one was injured then, but investigators said they were looking into a connection to the Dutch Mocro Mafia. The Morocco-based gang is known for contract killings and carrying out such brazen attacks in the Netherlands, and is now expanding its influence into Germany. Similar bombings took place in Engelskirchen and Duisburg in the summer, along with a hostage-taking incident in Cologne-Rodenkirchen in early July.

The hostage-taking incident occurred after the Mocro mafia brought 300 kilograms of marijuana to Cologne, after which a rival drug organization stole it, according to German news outlet WDR. The Moroccans used bombings, hostages and other brutal methods to get the marijuana back.

In addition, a deadly bomb attack in Solingen, where Islamic terrorism also took place last month and in which people were killed, was allegedly carried out on the orders of the Mocro mafia. The bomb attack detonated too early, killing the 17-year-old boy who was ordered to deliver the bomb.

An explosion ripped through Cologne’s Vanity nightclub on Monday, and videos of the incident went viral on social media. A 53-year-old man was slightly injured in the attack. Police are looking for a suspect captured on CCTV footage who was filmed setting fire to a plastic bag containing accelerant before the attack.