MERKEL'S GERMANY: Senior Taliban leader flew into Frankfurt to 'claim asylum'

[MikeWB]

MERKEL'S GERMANY: Senior Taliban leader flew into Frankfurt to 'claim asylum' with family

AN AFGHAN migrant who arrived in Germany to claim asylum with his family has been revealed to be a senior member of the Taliban, police have discovered.

By VICKIIE OLIPHANT
PUBLISHED: 14:15, Mon, Dec 19, 2016 | UPDATED: 14:28, Mon, Dec 19, 2016

The man flew into Frankfurt Airport from Raid, the capital of Saudi Arabia, but was stopped at customs as officials believed he was travelling on a fake passport.

When federal police realised he wasn't who he claimed to be, the man then apply for asylum for himself and his family.

However after a through police investigation, the man was revealed to be Abdul Rauf Mohammed, Afghanistan's health minister during the Taliban rule in the 1990s.

It is believed he met Taliban leader Osama bin Laden on several occasions.


After the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) rejected his German application, Mohammed was returned to Riyadh, and he was reportedly since travelled back to Afghanistan.

German officials declined to comment on the case, saying Taliban members had the same right to privacy as everybody else.

Yet this isn't the first time Mr Mohammed has tried to gain asylum in Europe.

In the year 2000 he travelled to Norway with his family after claiming he now opposed the extremist regime and was forced to flee the country.

But in 2014 he was kicked out of the Scandinavian country on suspicion of trying to radicalise Muslim youths.

Speaking at the time, he said: "They have no proof that I pose a security risk.

"If Norway or Norwegian soldiers are in danger, Abdul Rauf Mohammad would be the first to help them and defend Norway."


He added: "Norway is my second homeland. Norway helped me when I was in a dangerous situation."

A spokesperson for the German interior ministry revealed that more and more refugees from Afghanistan are claiming to have once fought for the Taliban to stop authorities from deporting them.

In a statement, they said: "This claim could lead to federal prosecutors opening an investigation on suspicion of supporting a foreign terror organisation."

However such an investigation would only lead to deportation being put on hold, rather than being completed halted.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/745199/Taliban-leader-flew-Afghanistan-claim-asylum-family-Germany-Angela-Merkel