German police secure explosive devices targeting power grid | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — Police in Germany have discovered 12 explosive devices near overhead power lines in two districts in the country’s east, the latest in a series of incidents targeting the country’s electrical infrastructure.
Eight home-made devices were found south of the Bärwalde substation near Lippen and four were discovered east of the Graustein substation near Schleife, local authorities said in a press release on Saturday. “They were intended to damage high-voltage power lines by causing a short circuit,” they said. Specialized units neutralized the devices and criminal investigators examined the crime scenes, stating that there was no damage or interruption of the electricity supply.
These discoveries follow several acts of sabotage on Germany’s energy infrastructure in recent days. On Tuesday, the grid was hit twice on opposite sides of the country and blocks of coal-fired power stations were shut down. Two days later, police discovered detonators that failed to cause damage near a substation in the western city of Dormagen. Further investigations are underway at a substation near the western city of Aachen.
Authorities are looking for a 48-year-old man who claimed responsibility in letters saying he wanted to target the fossil fuel industry. Police found explosives during a raid in his home.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Friday that this week’s findings pointed to “a case of climate extremism”.
Other incidents targeting Germany’s energy infrastructure at the start of the year put authorities on high alert. In January, an arson attack on Berlin’s power grid caused a major blackout affecting tens of thousands of homes. Another at a substation in the southern town of Reutlingen also led to widespread power outages this summer.
Police are also investigating an attack near a Munich office complex where defense firms are based overnight from Wednesday to Thursday.
More such stories are available at bloomberg.com
