Caught in the act of suspected bomb-smuggling via air freight.
For a span of weeks, German intelligence agencies have issued alerts about arson incidents occurring through delivery packages. One such occurrence is claimed to have taken place at a DHL logistics facility in Leipzig. Reportedly, Lithuanian detectives have managed to pinpoint two suspects involved in these incidents.
As per ARD reports, based on their own intelligence, two individuals have been apprehended in relation to these package-based arson attacks. The primary suspect is believed to have disguised his identity using false sender information. Simultaneously, another person was taken into custody in Poland. These arrests reportedly stem from investigations conducted by Lithuanian authorities.
In late August, it emerged that German security forces had warned of "unconventional arson attacks" perpetrated by unidentified individuals using freight forwarders. For several weeks prior, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) had information about several delivery parcels dispatched by private entities to various European locations, only to ignite en route to their intended destinations across multiple European countries, as per the agencies' security advisory. This warning was disseminated to companies in the aviation and logistics sectors.
The BfV and BKA advisory refrains from using the term "Russia". Regardless, a connection between these incidents and the surge of Russian sabotage activities in Germany is not definitively ruled out within security circles. Per dpa reports, the Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the matter. However, their spokesperson declined to disclose information on this matter in late August.
In the security circles, the advisory is also linked to an incident occurring at the DHL logistics facility in Leipzig, which serves as a global center for the company. There, a package originating from the Baltics reportedly ignited in July, containing an incendiary device. The fire reportedly engulfed an entire cargo container, which also housed other packages. Thankfully, the fire was promptly extinguished.
DHL officially released a statement, expressing concern over the incidents involving their logistics facilities and the potential threat to their operations. Subsequently, DHL enhanced its security measures to prevent any further arson attacks on their delivery packages.
