The arrest removes an immediate suspect linked to a string of attacks on Germany's electricity infrastructure and gives authorities time to search for any remaining devices. Police in Cologne said officers detained a 48-year-old man near the Weisweiler power plant in western Germany while he was carrying explosives, and they discovered a tent in nearby undergrowth that was also rigged with further devices.
Investigators said the explosives recovered during the arrest are being examined by a bomb disposal expert, and officers are checking the surrounding area for additional undiscovered devices. The detention follows a week of sabotage across multiple states, with incidents reported in Brandenburg and Saxony in the east and North Rhine-Westphalia in the west.
Authorities said the attacks followed a recurring method, using rockets to launch wires onto high-voltage lines to create short circuits. The disruption forced some generation units at affected plants to be taken temporarily off the grid. Police previously discovered several launch devices on high-voltage lines near the Weisweiler site on Monday, along with what authorities described as another confession letter.
German media have named the suspect Daniel V and reported that two handwritten letters claiming responsibility were received and contained information not previously public. The letters reportedly included the first name Daniel and gave a residential address in the town of Gevelsberg. Cologne investigators have said explosives were found during an earlier search of the suspect's apartment, and images of the man were released while he was being sought.
In Saxony, officers located 21 devices close to high-voltage power lines last Friday and Saturday. Interior Minister Armin Schuster warned the attacks could have caused a regional blackout, while urging caution about drawing premature conclusions. "The way this deed was committed makes this case unusual, as well as the manner of the confession," he said.
The Cologne Public Prosecutor's Office and Cologne Police issued a joint statement that declined to provide further detail on the suspect or exactly how many incidents he is linked to. Next steps include forensic analysis of the recovered explosives and continued searches along the grid to ensure no other devices remain active.
