Sabotage at substations: 48-year-old from Gevelsberg arrested
Police storm vehicle of suspect in Niederzier. A 48-year-old man from Gevelsberg is considered the main suspect for several acts of sabotage against Germany's electricity supply.
Suspect on the run: police move in at woodland location
Police have stormed the vehicle of a 48-year-old man from Gevelsberg, who is believed to be responsible for several acts of sabotage against Germany's electricity supply. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the operation took place in a woodland area in Niederzier in Düren district – on the edge of the Hambach lignite opencast mine. North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) stated at a joint press conference with Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) in Düsseldorf that the suspect is now on foot and will "not get far".
Earlier on Friday morning, the suspect's flat in Gevelsberg had been searched. Reul stated: "We found a number of things in the suspect's flat, namely suspicious substances or items suspected of being explosives." He provided no details on exact quantities; all findings were currently being examined by specialists.
Confession letters with full name and address
The suspect sent at least two handwritten confession letters to newspaper offices, including to the F.A.Z. In one of the letters, the author states that he wishes to take action against fossil fuels. The letter bears the full name of the alleged author – including his address. Reul described this as "very unusual, relatively rare".
According to current assessments, investigators regard the letters as authentic. Whether the man is actually the perpetrator and whether other persons were involved is still being examined, stressed the NRW Interior Minister. In addition to a possible left-extremist background, the authorities do not rule out "sabotage directed by a foreign state". Federal Interior Minister Dobrindt stated: "Based on current information, one must assume climate terrorism here."
Attack on substation in Jänschwalde
In the first letter, the author confesses to an attack on the substation in Brandenburg's Jänschwalde, which occurred on Tuesday. He justifies his actions by saying that electricity generation from fossil fuels is "a crime" that "inflicts unbearable suffering". He describes the attack in technical detail – mentioning electric detonators, timers, pipes and a wire.
These details match media reports about the sabotage act in Jänschwalde. However, those reports appeared only late Tuesday evening – at a time when the letter must have already been in the post. Federal Interior Minister Dobrindt therefore spoke of "clear perpetrator knowledge". So far, investigators are working on the assumption of a single perpetrator, but do not rule out connections to extremist networks.
Dormagen and Weisweiler: further attack sites
In a second letter, which the F.A.Z. received on Thursday, the author describes further sabotage acts – including one at a substation in North Rhine-Westphalia's Dormagen. Indeed, a sabotage incident became known there in the night into Friday. "I am pleased that it did not result in power cuts and that coal power plant blocks were still shut down anyway," the letter states.
Moreover, the author mentions an alleged attack near the Weisweiler lignite power station near Aachen. On Friday morning, police searched the area there and found, according to F.A.Z. information, two launch devices. In Jänschwalde, more than a dozen such devices had already been seized. There, perpetrators had used self-built projectiles – similar to fireworks rockets – to direct conductive material towards high-voltage power lines.
Political motive and announcement of further attacks
The author states that he is not sad "if Germany's arms industry is affected by power cuts, especially as long as Germany supports genocide in Palestine". He emphasises that he prepared and carried out all actions entirely alone – without outside help and without accomplices. He writes this because he fears the acts could otherwise be attributed to the "left-wing scene": "They have nothing to do with it."
At the same time, he threatens further attacks: "If law and order prevailed here, then I would not have to break the law and put up with a lot of suffering."
Family members unaware of whereabouts
The "taz" had already reported on the case, having also received the first confession letter. At the address given on the letter, the newspaper met a family member of the man, who recognised the handwriting but stated he had no knowledge of the act or the man's current whereabouts. Another family member refused to comment. The "taz" explicitly pointed out that it could not be established beyond doubt whether the author of the letter is actually the perpetrator. Investigations are ongoing.
Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung