Sabotage at substations in NRW: Confession letter and manhunt for man from Gevelsberg
Following the discovery of a suspicious object in Dormagen, police are treating the incident as sabotage. A confession letter names further possible crime scenes.
Confession letter following discovery at substation in Dormagen
Following the discovery of a suspicious object at a substation in Dormagen – situated between Cologne and Düsseldorf – police are treating the incident as sabotage. This is reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung citing a spokesman for Cologne police, who commented to the German Press Agency. This is the third similar incident within days in North Rhine-Westphalia and adjoining federal states.
Investigators have a confession letter in their possession. It mentions suspected cases already known publicly in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg. A substation in Weisweiler near Aachen is named as a further possible crime scene, which police are now examining for "suspicious launching devices".
A man from Gevelsberg in the Ennepe-Ruhr district is considered the presumed author of the letter. An intensive manhunt for him is currently underway. "Whether he is actually a suspect or a copycat is something that must first be examined", the police spokesman emphasised. Several media outlets, including WDR, reported that the letter cited the struggle against fossil fuels as a motive. Police made no statement on this.
The suspicious object in Dormagen was discovered on Thursday evening by a jogger. Investigations into it had not been completed by night-time. It may possibly be a "suspicious launching device", according to the spokesman. Officers checked further substations in surrounding regions for similar objects.
Previous incidents in Bergheim and Jänschwalde
In Lower Saxony, emergency teams also examined the grounds at a substation in Ganderkesee in Oldenburg district. A spokeswoman confirmed that additional staff were requested. She provided no details of possible discoveries.
With the exception of the substation in Bergheim west of Cologne, no damage has been reported so far. There, cables were placed across the overhead line on Tuesday, causing a short circuit. Subsequently, several launching devices were discovered. An alleged attack on the substation there had disabled lignite power plants near Cologne. North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister spoke of an attack on Germany.
A similar incident had occurred in southern Brandenburg a few hours earlier. Near the Jänschwalde lignite power plant, conductive materials were directed towards high-voltage power lines using home-made flying objects resembling New Year's Eve fireworks on Tuesday morning. More than a dozen devices were seized. According to the grid operator, no power cut resulted. Investigators believe the incidents in Bergheim and Jänschwalde are attributable to anti-constitutional sabotage.
According to investigations by NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung, cases registered this year include manipulated power lines and rail tracks, as well as planned arson attacks – according to an internal BKA analysis.
Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung