The motive behind the planting of explosive devices in Rijeka, Kostrena, and Opatija in the past two months, which resulted in the arrest of two suspects, is exclusively material gain and the case has nothing to do with terrorism or extremism, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County police said at a news conference on Monday.

Following a criminal investigation, the police have reported the two suspects for attempted extortion, illegal manufacturing and procurement of explosive devices, and endangering life and property.

After the suspects were interviewed, the prosecutors requested that they be placed in custody due to the danger that they could escape or repeat the same offences, on which a decision is to be made by a Rijeka County Court investigating judge.

The suspects are a 52-year-old German national and a 33-year-old Croatian national who also holds German citizenship and lives in Germany. One of the suspects used forged Croatian identification documents and was also reported for forgery, the police said.

The head of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County police, Hari Brnad, said the two suspects had committed property crimes also in Germany, and that a warrant for the arrest of the German national had been issued.

The head of the counterterrorism department at the Police Directorate, Kresimir Mamic, said that the suspects’ sole motive was material gain and that the case did not have elements of terrorism or extremism.

The suspects used sophisticated technology to blackmail the Plodine retailer, leaving explosive outside its shops on four occasions, as well as the hotel company LRH from Opatija, planting an explosive device outside the Hotel Ambasador in April.

The amounts they tried to extort ranged from 3 to 4.6 million euros, and they also demanded payment in cryptocurrencies.

According to information collected so far, the two operated on their own, but the investigation is continuing to determine if more persons were involved, the police said.