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Germany arrests 2 alleged Syrian spies

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The Associated Press Updated 11:56 AM Tuesday, February 7, 2012

BERLIN — German police on Tuesday arrested two men on allegations they were spying on Syrian opposition groups in Germany, prosecutors said.

Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he summoned the Syrian ambassador to tell him that Germany cannot tolerate such activities "against Syrian opposition figures."

Some 70 police officers searched the suspects' apartments and those of six alleged accomplices who are also under investigation, the Federal Prosecutors' Office said

They say a 34-year-old Syrian, identified only as Akram O., and a 47-year-old German-Lebanese double national, Mahmoud El A., are suspected of "having spied over several years on Syrian opposition figures in Germany," according to prosecutors.

The arrests and searches are the result of an "extensive" investigation by Germany's domestic intelligence service, the said.

No further details were given and the investigation remains ongoing. Westerwelle also declined to elaborate on the investigation.

(This version CORRECTS Corrects transposition of suspects' names.)

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February 07, 2012 04:52 PM EST

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