Teen terror trio in Poland charged over attack plans, ideological extremism

In the Polish city of Olsztyn, the Internal Security Agency (ABW) has arrested a 19-year-old man suspected of preparing a terrorist attack, marking a troubling development in an ongoing investigation into radicalised youth.

The arrest was announced on Thursday, June 12, by Interior Ministry spokesman Jacek Dobrzyński on the social platform X, per Caliber.Az.

Funkcjonariusze Delegatury ABW w Olsztynie zatrzymali 19-letniego mężczyznę podejrzanego o planowanie czynu o charakterze terrorystycznym. To już trzecia osoba z zarzutami w śledztwie nadzorowanym przez Prokuraturę Okręgową w Olsztynie. Wcześniej do tej sprawy funkcjonariusze… pic.twitter.com/JbmMix2Jed

— Jacek Dobrzyński (@JacekDobrzynski) June 12, 2025

This latest detention brings the number of suspects in the case to three — all 19 years old — currently under investigation by the Olsztyn District Prosecutor’s Office.

According to investigators, the group had been actively researching firearms, combat techniques, and how to manufacture explosive devices. Authorities found that they had engaged in shooting practice and had collected pyrotechnic substances along with detailed manuals on crafting homemade bombs.

What has deeply alarmed the ABW is that the young men were reportedly influenced by some of the most infamous terrorists in recent history, including Anders Breivik, Brenton Tarrant, and Timothy McVeigh. The suspects are believed to have studied these attackers’ ideologies, tactics, and even the errors they made, shaping, in the words of prosecutors, their own “extremely radical moral views.”

All three now face charges under Poland’s Criminal Code for the preparation of a terrorist act. Two of them are currently in custody, while the third has been placed under other preventive measures.

By Tamilla Hasanova