12 injured at DHL depot & hazmat cops deployed after ‘suspicious package’ found following spate of Putin parcel attacks
AT LEAST 12 people have been injured after a suspicious package was found in a DHL distribution centre in Germany.
Specialist hazmat officials were deployed to the warehouse after several workers suddenly fell ill - sparking fears of Russian meddling following a spate of sabotage plots across Europe.
According to initial investigations, a suspicious package was found in the town of Langenzenn early this morning.
A major emergency operation was launched with around 100 fire fighters, cops and first responders deployed to the depot.
It is still unclear what was inside but local media has claimed it was an unknown powder.
Seven workers at the depot were quickly taken to the hospital after complaining about "irritation" after coming into contact with the parcel, a police spokeswoman said.
Officials fear the number of those affected could still rise.
Security services are still looking into who may have sent or planted the package.
A spokesperson for the Central Franconia Police Headquarters confirmed: "Hazardous materials teams from Erlangen and Greding are on site.
"The affected people are being cared for by firefighters."
Most read in The US Sun
The depot was evacuated as emergency services urged locals to avoid the area as they continue to probe the suspect package.
The local fire department immediately set up a decontamination site on site.
Over 35 people have already used the decontamination showers provided to wash off potentially hazardous substances.
The shock discovery follows a spate of attacks across Europe on parcel depots in the past three years which have been linked back to Russia.
Western governments have accused Moscow of playing a part in a series of fires and acts of sabotage aimed at destabilising allies of Ukraine.
On July 22, a suspect package caught fire at a DHL depot in Minworth, Birmingham.
That same month, fires broke out in a container due to be loaded onto a DHL cargo plane in the German city of Leipzig.
Meanwhile, a fire at a transport hub near Jablonow, near Warsaw, Poland took almost two hours to put out.
Polish police arrested four people - and claimed the suspected Russian arson attacks could have been a test run for future attacks on the US.
Lithuanian authorities also accused Russia of being behind a plot to firebomb an Ikea store last May in the capital Vilnius.
Two "disposable agents" are said to have hidden explosives amongst flammable products and set it off overnight.
It is feared the fears were part of an orchestrated campaign organised by Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU.
Timeline of Russian sabotage attacks across Europe
SINCE the war in Ukraine it is believed the Russians have launched a wave of sabotage attacks across Europe.
Oslo, Norway, June 29, 2022 - Cyberattack renders government websites unusable for 24 hours
Riga, Latvia, February 27, 2024 - Arson attack on'Museum of the Occuption'
London, UK, March 20, 2024 - Wagner-group linked arson attack at warehouse
Wroclaw, Poland, April 18, 2024 - Plot to assassinate Zelensky foiled
Warsaw, Poland, April 13, 2024 - Warsaw shopping centre torched by suspected Russian agent
Berlin, Germany, May 3, 2024 - Cyberattacks on German politicians and companies
Prague, Czechia, May 3, 2024 - Mass cyber attacks on government and infrastructure
Vilnius, Lithuania, May, 9, 2024 - Arson attack on Ikea - targeted as store was same colour as Ukrainian flag
Paris, France, June 7, 2024 - Russian accused of planning plot to plant bomb at D-day celebration
Dusseldorf, Germany, July 12, 2024 - Western intelligence reveal plot to assassinate German arms boss
Birmingham, UK, July 22, 2024 - Russia suspected of planting device at DHL depot
Warsaw, November 8, 2024 - Prosecutors reveal Russian parcel bomb plot across Europe
Vilnius, Lithuania, November 25, 2024 - DHL cargo plane crashes after suspected Russian package bomb
Baltic Sea, December 25, 2024 - Estlink-2 cable cut by ship anchor - one of many cable cutting attacks linked to Russia
Moscow denies being behind acts of sabotage.
There is yet to be any comment on if Russia could have been behind the suspicious package found in Germany today.
Concerns spiralled again back in November when Western spy chiefs accused Putin's agents of planting firebombs on cargo planes.
Putin was again accused of being behind the Heathrow blaze which brought one of the UK's biggest airports to a complete standstill back in March.
Many of the alleged sabotage plots are yet to be formally linked to Moscow.
But on Tuesday, three German-Russian dual nationals went on trial in Munich accused of spying for the Kremlin.
They also allegedly plotted attacks on critical military infrastructure and industry in the German city.
Read More on The Sun
The main suspect, named as Dieter S, is said to have masterminded the plan to sabotage Germany's support for Ukraine.
He is being tried alongside Alexander J. and Alex D., who are alleged to have helped him on behalf of a foreign intelligence service.
