Stromversorgung: Strom-Sabotage: Polizei stürmt Fahrzeug des Verdächtigen

Deutsche Polizei intensifies hunt for suspect behind sabotage of German power grid. Following discovery of explosives in the apartment of a 48-year-old man in Gevelsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, a special operations team stormed a van near Niederzier, about 100 kilometers away, on Friday afternoon. NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul announced the arrest, mentioning the suspect was not in the van and might be on foot.

The suspect is suspected to be a lone perpetrator, with an authentic confession letter from the suspect, according to Reul. The suspect targeted key infrastructure near coal mining areas, including Dormagen and Weisweiler near Aachen. The letters allege that fossil fuel-based power generation is a crime, but Reul refuted this, stating that attacking critical infrastructure is the crime, not the generation of power from fossil fuels.

Reul emphasized that there was no justification for the acts, stating that no ideology can serve as an excuse. If climate activists endanger the power supply of hospitals, no lives would be saved, but many would be put at risk. Reul suggested that better protection of critical infrastructure is needed, including modern technology like cameras, sensors, and alarm systems.

The suspect signed the confession letter alone, even providing his address, which is unusual, Reul noted. Reul questioned whether one person could have committed the acts alone or if they required assistance. Recent sabotage attempts related to power supply were reported this week, with the latest incident in Nordrhein-Westfalen involving a suspicious object possibly linked to a shooting device found near Dormagen.

Other incidents included a disturbance at an Umspannwerk (transformer station) in Bergheim and an attack on a Umspannwerk in Eschweiler. Police focused on several locations in a field and nearby bush, documenting them with photographs.