A suspect sought in connection with attempted sabotage of the power supply in several German federal states has been apprehended. The 48-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday close to the Weisweiler power plant, according to Cologne police. During his arrest, officers found him in possession of explosive materials, but he did not resist.
The suspect, who is from North Rhine-Westphalia, is believed to have claimed responsibility for attacks on substations in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, and Saxony in a written confession. In this document, he reportedly justified the attacks by criticising energy production based on fossil fuels.
On Tuesday last week, incidents targeting substations occurred near Jänschwalde in Brandenburg and near Bergheim in North Rhine-Westphalia. Devices similar to those used in these attacks were later found in Dormagen and at the Weisweiler plant.
Authorities in Saxony subsequently discovered corresponding materials. Police and network operators said that the devices involved used a form of pyrotechnic material that was fired into high-voltage lines in order to cause short circuits.
