Sabotage of electricity grids in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg: police search for 48-year-old
A 48-year-old suspect is believed to have carried out several attacks on the German power grid. Investigators found explosives and two confessional letters in his flat.
Suspect on the run following sabotage acts against electricity supply
Following several alleged sabotage operations against the German power grid, police are conducting an intensive manhunt for a 48-year-old, reports DER SPIEGEL (Justice & Crime). So far there has been no trace of the man.
In the suspect's flat in Gevelsberg, emergency personnel secured explosives and two confessional letters. Specialist units also examined a lorry converted into a motorhome, which is believed to belong to the wanted man.
North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul stated: "All of these findings are being examined by specialists. The situation is very complex, we have not yet found this man, and we still have many questions today."
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt assessed the confessional letters as authentic – they contained clear evidence of perpetrator knowledge. "Based on current information, one must assume climate extremism," Dobrindt said.
The authorities are assuming a single perpetrator. The attacks affected the electricity supply in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg. The incidents have triggered a broad debate about the protection of critical infrastructure in Germany.