German police detain suspect after sabotage attacks on power grid

German police detain suspect after sabotage attacks on power grid

Suspect apprehended following coordinated attacks on electricity infrastructure

Details of the Arrest

BERLIN, Sept 8 (Reuters) - German police have detained a 48-year-old man suspected of carrying out a series of sabotage attacks on the country's electricity grid, police and prosecutors said on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Daniel V. in line with German privacy rules, was detained near Weisweiler, about 50 km (30 miles) west of Cologne, ending a manhunt that began when authorities received letters claiming responsibility for attacks on electricity substations in three German states.

Explosives and Evidence Found

Police said the suspect was carrying explosive devices when he was detained. Officers also found a nearby tent where he was thought to have spent the night that contained further explosive charges, which bomb disposal experts were examining.

Investigators remained at the scene on Tuesday collecting evidence and checking whether other launch devices had been set up in the surrounding area.

Scope of the Investigation

The local prosecutor's office, which announced the man's detention, said it was investigating a September 1 attack near the Jaenschwalde coal-fired power plant, where overhead lines at a substation were targeted and investigators found several improvised explosive devices, some of which did not function.

Charges and Legal Proceedings

The probe in Brandenburg state in northeastern Germany is being conducted on charges of causing an explosion and disrupting public utilities, and additional charges are being considered, it said.

Related Incidents in Other States

Authorities said similar incidents were reported in North Rhine-Westphalia on September 1 and in Saxony on September 4, but said the investigations in the three states had not yet been combined into one.

Background and Motive

German police had been searching for the suspect since last week, when they received letters claiming responsibility for a series of attacks on the power grid, citing opposition to fossil fuels as a motive.

Previous Attacks Linked to the Suspect

The suspect has also claimed responsibility for an attack on a substation in Bergheim near Cologne that knocked five power generation units offline after conductive material was apparently launched onto high-voltage infrastructure, officials said last week.

Dormagen Sabotage Attempt

Another suspected sabotage attempt claimed by ​the wanted man was discovered in Dormagen, south of Duesseldorf, where a passer-by spotted pipes fitted with cables and timers aimed at a substation. Police subsequently found two launch devices.

Official Response

Commenting on the case last week, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said it was likely a case of "climate extremism" but that it was unclear whether the man had acted alone, had accomplices or was acting on behalf of a third party.

(Reporting by Markus Wacket, writing by Friederike Heine, editing by Thomas Seythal and Ros Russell)