Originally Posted by
Less Hair
It's legal to carry on in Germany. The whole thing escalated after other passengers reported having heard them talking about bombs repeatedly. Plus those three gentlemen were reading books and newspapers with certain "funny" topics and titles at the same time and had this suspicious backpack on board.
The city of Cologne criminal police has formally declared there has been no real danger at any time. Nobody had sinister intentions.
According to the article from the Cologne police that was linked above it was one female passenger who reported to the cabin crew that she had allegedly heard terrorist content in the conversations of the men.