Sabotage on German power grid: Suspect Daniel V. flees after police operation
A special police unit stormed the vehicle of a sabotage suspect in North Rhine-Westphalia on Friday – the 48-year-old remained unaccounted for. A confession letter suggests links to climate extremism.
Wanted saboteur escapes special unit in NRW forest
A special police commando stormed the vehicle of an alleged saboteur on Friday afternoon in a forest near Niederzier, close to Düren in North Rhine-Westphalia – but did not find the wanted man. According to Google News AT – Crime (de), citing Die Zeit, authorities continued their search for the man on Friday evening. "We are still in a manhunt situation," said a spokesperson for Cologne Police.
According to authorities, the vehicle that was stormed is a lorry that appears to have been converted into a mobile home. North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) stated that the 48-year-old suspect is now presumably on foot. He did not rule out particular dangerousness of the man, though he said there were no specific indications of this.
Explosives in flat, confession letter with perpetrator knowledge
According to Reul, explosives were secured in the suspect's flat in the Sauerland town of Gevelsberg – specifically the substances potassium nitrate and potassium perchlorate. The suspect is also said to have written several confession letters in which he named the fight against fossil fuels as his motive. The letter contained detailed knowledge of the sabotage acts, according to Reul. The family of the man, referred to in reports as Daniel V., confirmed to Die Zeit that it was his handwriting.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) said at the same press conference: "Based on current information, one must assume climate extremism." However, a final assessment was not yet possible. Reul emphasised at the same time: "If someone signs his name to something, that does not necessarily make him responsible."
Suspect's profile: Medical studies, social withdrawal
According to Die Zeit's research, there are several indications connecting Daniel V. to the attack series. The man had never previously attracted attention for extremism or political statements. He studied medicine but had not worked as a doctor for a long time. About a year ago, he broke contact with several family members.
In addition to a possible left-wing extremist background, investigators are not ruling out "state-controlled sabotage". They are also examining whether the suspect acted alone and whether there are connections to similar incidents in Brandenburg.
Rockets on high-voltage power lines, launching devices in NRW
Unidentified individuals carried out sabotage acts against switching stations in Bergheim near Cologne and in the Brandenburg town of Jänschwalde on Tuesday. Apparently, firework-like rockets with conductive material were directed over extra-high-voltage power lines, resulting in short circuits or earth faults. On Thursday, police found further launching devices in Dormagen and Weisweiler in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Unknown explosive devices also secured in Saxony
In connection with the attack series, police also discovered "unknown explosive devices" in Saxony. Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) told news agency dpa that four objects had been secured at two locations; defusal was underway. Information about the locations came from a confession letter that had triggered intensive search operations on Thursday. The Görlitz police directorate confirmed an operation north of Bautzen. According to reports, the attack targets are located close to the border with Brandenburg, where energy company LEAG mines brown coal and converts it into electricity at the Jänschwalde and Boxberg power plants.
Dobrindt stressed that Germany currently faces "different threat and hazard situations simultaneously" – including sabotage, espionage, cyber attacks, covert operations, extremism and state terrorism. "We are increasingly protecting ourselves against all of these threat situations," said the CSU politician.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)