Polish student detained over suspected Christmas market attack plot
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 16, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026

Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 16, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026

A Polish student was detained for plotting a Christmas market attack, intending to support the Islamic State.
WARSAW, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Polish security services have detained a student suspected of preparing a "mass attack" at a Christmas market, Jacek Dobrzynski, a spokesperson for Poland's special services, said on Tuesday.
Mateusz W., a student at the Catholic University of Lublin, wanted to commit an attack using explosives and planned to join a terrorist organization, he said.
"The aim of the crime was to intimidate many people and support the Islamic State. During the investigation, Internal Security Agency officers seized data carriers and items related to Islam," Dobrzynski wrote on platform X.
The prosecutor's office charged Mateusz W. with "undertaking preparatory actions to carry out a terrorist attack that could have resulted in the death or serious injury of many people."
"Furthermore, he took steps to establish contact with a terrorist organization, including obtaining its support in carrying out the attack," the statement said.
Authorities did not immediately give further details about the suspect, who was placed in detention for a preliminary period of three months.
(Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
Financial crime refers to illegal acts committed for financial gain, including fraud, money laundering, and terrorist financing. It poses significant risks to the integrity of financial systems and economies.
Islamic finance is a financial system that operates in accordance with Islamic law (Sharia). It prohibits interest (riba) and promotes risk-sharing and ethical investments.
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