Authorities in Poland have made several arrests related to a suspected Russian-backed scheme aimed at routing explosive parcels to the US and Canada through international couriers. Officials believe that a recent firebomb attack at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, connected to Russian saboteurs, was likely a trial run for an assault targeting the United States.
The National Prosecutor’s Office of Poland announced the arrests, revealing that parcels containing explosives were allegedly sent to various countries, including the UK. The UK’s counter-terrorism police are currently investigating potential Russian involvement in the incident, which occurred in July when a suspicious package ignited at the DHL warehouse in Minworth.
In Germany, authorities are also investigating multiple fires believed to have been caused by incendiary devices hidden inside parcels at a warehouse in Leipzig.
Polish Prosecutor Katarzyna Calow-Jaszewska stated that the arrests pertained to parcels that “spontaneously ignited or detonated during land and air transport” to European Union nations and the UK. She added that the group was allegedly testing the transfer channel for parcels intended for the US and Canada.
While the Polish authorities reported the arrests, Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK clarified that these were not part of their ongoing investigation.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the devices involved were “electric massagers implanted with a magnesium-based flammable substance” and suggested they are part of a broader Russian plot.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement, with a spokesperson describing the allegations as “traditional unsubstantiated insinuations from the media.”
The DHL warehouse fire in July resulted from a package that arrived by air, but details surrounding the flight and its route remain unclear. Last month, British police stated their investigation is being led by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, with support from colleagues in West Midlands’ counter-terrorism unit.
Credit: Sky News
