Sabotage at German electricity grid: police search for suspect near Aachen
Following multiple attacks on transformer stations in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg, police are searching for a suspect based on a confession letter.
Attacks on critical energy infrastructure: investigators examining connections
Following a series of sabotage acts at German transformer stations, police are searching near Weisweiler close to Aachen for a suspect. The basis is a confession letter, as SRF reports.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt commented on the background of the acts on Friday: "Based on current information, one must assume climate extremism." Whether it concerns a lone perpetrator has not yet been conclusively established.
The starting point of the current investigation lies in North Rhine-Westphalia: on Tuesday evening, unknown perpetrators attacked a transformer station in the region. As a result, several units of the RWE coal-fired power plants in Niederaussem and Neurath had to be temporarily taken offline. The Cologne public prosecutor's office is investigating on suspicion of sabotage aimed at undermining the constitutional order. NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul commented on the incident clearly: "This was intentional, this was a criminal act. Whoever does this attacks our country."
Also on Tuesday, but in the morning, unknown perpetrators in Brandenburg attempted to trigger a widespread power outage by attacking a transformer station near the Jänschwalde power plant. On Thursday evening a further sabotage attempt followed near the transformer station in Dormagen-Gohr in NRW – according to RWE, police found launching devices near power lines there.
Investigators are examining a connection between the individual incidents. According to Reul, the confession letter also contained the name and address of the alleged author. Whether this person is actually connected to the acts is still being investigated. "The situation is very complex," Reul emphasised. Regarding the suspect's whereabouts, he said: "I would not be surprised if he is in Germany."
Source: SRF