Germany tightened its border security yesterday in an attempt to prevent seven fugitive Islamic radicals from fleeing the country. They are suspected of helping three men who have been arrested for plotting what would have been the worst terrorist attack in Germany.

The fugitives are believed to have given logistics support to the fundamentalists who were plotting to blow up hundreds of people in German airports, discotheques and pubs.

“There are Germans, there are Turks, there are other nationalities,” said August Hanning, the Deputy Interior Minister who is coordinating the hunt with the intelligence services.

Two of the fugitives are from Saarland, close to the border with France. Most of the back-up team – who helped to rent apartments, arrange cars and provided computer support– was based in western Germany within an easy drive of France, Switzerland and Belgium.

The core of the alleged terror cell, however, has been destroyed, the police believe, with the arrest on Tuesday of two German Muslim converts and a Turk. All three were being questioned yesterday. “There is no further danger from this terror cell,” said Mr Hanning, a former head of the German security service and an acknowledged expert on terrorism.

“But there is still a mission to carry out attacks within Germany and this mission worries us.”

German politicians called for the criminal prosecution of all Germans attending camps in northern Pakistan. The three arrested men – 28-year-old Fritz G; 22-year-old Daniel S and 29-year-old Adem Y – first met in a Taleban-linked camp in Pakistan, where, it was alleged, they learnt explosives skills, and on their return to Germany, they collected explosives. “People who go to training camps like this are not after rest and recreation, “ said Ralf Stegner, the interior minister of the region of Schleswig-Holstein. “They are being taught to be terrorists and that should be a criminal offence.”

Mr Stegner is a Social Democrat but many Christian Democrats suggested similar action, indicating cross-party support for a quick crackdown.

Security sources declined to comment on a report that the suspects had made phone calls to Britain.

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