German police search for man over claims of substation sabotage
German police are searching for a 48-year-old man who sent handwritten letters to newsrooms claiming responsibility for a series of sabotage attacks on electrical substations. The author of the letters said he acted in protest against electricity generation from fossil fuels and stated that he acted alone.
According to Anadolu Agency, media identified the wanted man as Daniel W. from Gevelsberg in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The letters were signed with his full name. Investigators said the description of the devices in the letters matched items found at the incident sites.
Searches in Gevelsberg and near Düren
On Friday, police searched the man's home in Gevelsberg and later inspected a truck found in a wooded area near Düren, close to the Hambach lignite mine. Officials said the man was not found there and the search continued.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul said that, according to the available information, the wanted man may be travelling on foot.
Three incidents this week
Three attempted acts of sabotage at electrical substations occurred in Germany this week. The first incident was recorded on Tuesday near the Jänschwalde coal-fired power plant in Brandenburg: improvised launching devices directed conductive material toward high-voltage lines. Several hours later, another incident occurred at a substation in Bergheim, west of Cologne.
On Thursday evening, a passer-by found similar devices near a substation in Dormagen. Police said someone had likely attempted to cause a short circuit there, but no damage was recorded. In the letters, their author also claimed that left-wing groups and activists were not involved in these actions.
