German Police Arrest Suspect in Series of Power Grid Sabotage Attacks

German authorities have arrested a 48-year-old man in connection with a series of attacks on the country's power distribution network, ending a dayslong manhunt. The suspect was detained on Tuesday near the Weisweiler power plant in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, according to Cologne police.

The arrest came after a string of incidents that began last week with sabotage at a substation near the Jänschwalde coal-fired power plant in Brandenburg. Hours later, a short circuit knocked power lines out of service at the Bergheim substation near Cologne. These events initially prompted security officials to consider the possibility of foreign involvement, given heightened tensions following a government accusation that Russia was behind a drone attack attempt at Leipzig/Halle Airport in early August.

However, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated on Friday that the acts were believed to be the work of a single individual motivated by climate extremism. The suspect is alleged to have used homemade rockets to shoot thin wires across high-voltage power lines in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, and Saxony, with the aim of causing short circuits.

Investigators discovered several launch devices on a high-voltage line near the Weisweiler plant on Monday, close to where the arrest was made. A letter claiming responsibility was also found at the scene, with similar letters discovered at other locations. In these letters, the man reportedly justified the attacks as part of a fight against fossil fuels, noting that lignite coal is still mined and used for power generation in the affected states.

Police reported that the suspect, who was in possession of explosives and offered no resistance, had a tent set up in nearby underbrush containing additional explosive charges. A bomb disposal expert is currently examining the items. An arrest warrant had been issued earlier by the Cottbus Public Prosecutor's Office. Officers remain at the scene in Weisweiler to secure evidence and check for any other undiscovered detonation devices.