U.K. Counter-terrorism police are investigating if Russian spies planted an incendiary device on a plane which later caught fire at a warehouse.

The Guardian reported nobody was injured at the July 22 fire in the DHL depot based in the suburb of Minworth, just outside Birmingham, England, with the blaze managed by staff and the local fire brigade.

It is not known whether the parcel arrived by cargo or passenger aircraft into the U.K. or where its final destination was. The blaze follows a similar incident at a DHL facility in Leipzig, Germany, which Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service, warned  “would have resulted in a crash” had the blaze ignited in the air.

A Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism spokesperson said: “We can confirm that officers from counter-terrorism policing are investigating an incident at a commercial premises in Midpoint Way, Minworth.

“The investigation remains ongoing and there have been no arrests in our investigation at this time. As part of our enquiries, officers are liaising with other European law enforcement partners to identify whether this may or may not be connected to any other similar-type incidents across Europe.”

A government spokesperson said: “National security is the first priority of any government. We take any malicious activity that might pose a significant threat to our security and public safety extremely seriously.”

British investigators suspect the device was part of a wider campaign by Russian spies across Europe. Earlier this month, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned the Russian intelligence service GRU was on a “sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets.” 

Moscow has been suspected of other plots in the U.K. this year. In April, two British men were charged with helping Russian intelligence after a suspected arson attack at a warehouse belonging to a business linked to Ukraine.

Separately Thursday, the U.K. imposed fresh sanctions on 18 Russian oil tankers and four liquified natural gas tankers, marking the largest sanctions action to date against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet.

The ships will be barred from British ports and unable to access British maritime services, bringing the total number of sanctioned oil tankers to 43.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “We must combat malign Russian activity at every turn, whether illicit tactics to bolster Putin’s war chest, their use of cyber-attacks or barbarism on the front line in Ukraine.”

Politico

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