Russia suspected of planting device on plane that caused UK warehouse fire | Birmingham | The Guardian

Exclusive: Police investigate whether spies placed incendiary package that caught alight in Birmingham

Counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Russian spies planted an incendiary device on a plane to Britain which later caught fire at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, the Guardian can reveal.

Nobody was reported injured in the fire on 22 July at a warehouse in the suburb of Minworth that handles parcels for delivery, and the blaze was dealt with by the local fire brigade and staff.

The parcel is believed to have arrived at the DHL warehouse by air, though it is not known if it was a cargo or passenger aircraft, nor where it was destined for. There could have been serious consequences if it had ignited during the flight.

A similar incident occurred in Germany, also in late July, when a suspect package bound for a flight caught fire at another DHL facility in Leipzig. German authorities warned this week that had it gone off in mid-air it could have downed the plane.

On Monday, Thomas Haldenwang, the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service, told members of the country’s parliament that had the Leipzig package started burning during a flight “it would have resulted in a crash”.

However, the incident in Birmingham was only disclosed after joint inquiries by the Guardian and German broadcasters WDR and NDR, prompting questions as to why the authorities did not reveal it earlier.

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.

“On Monday 22 July, a package at the location caught alight. It was dealt with by staff and the local fire brigade at the time and there were no reports of any injuries or significant damage caused.”

British investigators suspect that the incendiary device is part of a wider campaign that Russian spies have been carrying out across Europe this year, which has been condemned as reckless by spy chiefs in the UK and elsewhere.

Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, warned last week that Russia’s GRU military intelligence appeared to be on “a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets: we’ve seen arson, sabotage and more”.

A warehouse in east London belonging to a company linked to Ukraine caught fire in a suspected arson attack in March. Seven men have been charged with involvement in the incident, which has been linked to a Russian plot.

A shopping centre in Warsaw was destroyed by a fire in May. Shortly after, Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, said was “quite likely” that the blaze was caused by operatives from Russia’s intelligence services.

However, the most serious plot uncovered was an attempt to assassinate Armin Papperger, the CEO of the German arms maker Rheinmetall. In July, it was reported that US intelligence services had foiled Russian plans to murder him.

The German newspaper Tagesspiegel reported that the incendiary device had started burning in Leipzig as it was about to be loaded on a cargo plane. The flight had been delayed. If the plane taken off on time, it would have ignited mid-air.

Given the similarity to the Leipzig fire, also linked to Russian sabotage, Met counter-terrorism police are leading the Birmingham investigation with support from specialist officers from the West Midlands and comparing notes with investigators around Europe.

Last month, DHL said the package that started burning in Germany was originally posted from Lithuania. The company said it had tightened “security protocols and procedures” in line with advice from European authorities.

No arrests have been made in relation to the Birmingham fire, and British police inquiries are continuing. “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,” the police spokesperson said.

DHL was approached for comment.