An Austrian terror suspect arrested this week was plotting to crash a plane into the Reichstag building in Berlin, which houses the German parliament, a report said Saturday. Officials said a German with links to the suspect was also detained.

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The suspect, who has been named only as Thomas al-J. and is a 25-year-old Austrian national who converted to Islam, was arrested Wednesday in his Vienna flat on suspicion of recruiting for terror training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan and of financing a terrorist organization – the German Taliban Mujahideen (DTM).

Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported on Saturday that the suspect had been plotting to crash a plane into the German parliament, the Bundestag, and had been training on a flight simulator.

Austria’s interior ministry also said Saturday that a German terrorism suspect had been arrested in Austria on May 31 and had links with the alleged recruiter.

The 26-year-old German, originally from Berlin, is in the process of being extradited to Germany, where he is suspected of being a member of a terrorist organization, ministry spokesman Rudolf Gollia said.

Three other suspects who were arrested at Vienna airport Wednesday apparently on their way to a terrorist training camp in Pakistan were released from custody that evening. Police said there were no grounds to detain them further.

Austria last year passed a law that foresees up to five years in prison for any person attending a terror camp abroad.

AFP/bk