Police in Cologne have published bodycam footage showing the arrest of Daniel V., the 48-year-old suspected of plotting sabotage attacks on Germany's power infrastructure. The video, recorded by an officer's body camera, shows Daniel V. lying face down on the ground as armed officers approach with weapons drawn, handcuff him, and escort him to a patrol car. The footage also reveals a tent where the suspect is believed to have been sleeping.
The arrest, which took place on Tuesday near the Weisweiler power station outside Aachen, came after a days-long manhunt. According to the dpa news agency, officers stopped the suspect during a traffic check. The release of the footage coincides with new details emerging from the investigation, which has been taken over by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office due to its "particular significance."
Investigation reveals extensive sabotage plot
North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) briefed the state parliament's internal affairs committee on the case, revealing that investigators have identified additional possible crime scenes not only in North Rhine-Westphalia but also in other German states and neighboring countries. In North Rhine-Westphalia alone, more than 40 devices capable of firing conductive material at power lines have been discovered near substations. These devices, which investigators believe were intended to cause short circuits and trigger power outages, were found during searches of the suspect's vehicle and other locations.
Reul told the committee that a notebook seized from the suspect's vehicle contained handwritten notes about more than 150 potential sabotage targets. The locations have since been checked by investigators. Following his arrest, Daniel V. is also said to have identified seven sites where he had allegedly established depots. "We have not only caught the suspected perpetrator of the attacks, but may thereby have prevented a whole series of further attacks," Reul said.
The scale of the alleged plot has raised questions about whether Daniel V. acted alone. Reul noted that authorities are considering the possibility that the suspect may have been acting on behalf of a foreign power, though he stressed that there is currently no evidence to support this theory. "The investigation is continuing at full speed," he added.
The case has drawn attention to the growing threat of hybrid attacks on European infrastructure. Germany has been on alert for such activities, and the federal government has recently outlined its strategy for defending below the threshold of war. The arrest also comes amid heightened concerns about foreign interference, as highlighted by Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen's recent remarks on Moscow's reaction to the AfD's regional election win in Germany, which she described as a welcome development for the Kremlin.
In recent days, investigators have been dealing with several suspected acts of sabotage targeting power infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg. The attacks reportedly involved improvised rockets firing conductive material at high-voltage power lines, though they did not cause any major power outages. Several letters claiming responsibility, written by an unknown author, have been linked to incidents at various power plant sites in both states.
Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) has urged caution against drawing premature conclusions, describing both the alleged method of attack and the confession letter as "extraordinary." He emphasized the need for a thorough investigation before any definitive assessments are made.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is examining whether the suspect targeted the constitutional order through acts of sabotage, a charge that could carry significant legal consequences. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to determine the full scope of the alleged plot and whether any accomplices were involved.
As the case unfolds, it underscores the vulnerabilities of Europe's critical infrastructure and the challenges faced by law enforcement in countering such threats. The release of the bodycam footage offers a rare glimpse into the dramatic arrest of a suspect who, according to investigators, may have been planning a series of coordinated attacks on the power grid.
