Lithuanian judicial authorities have uncovered a network of individuals suspected of planning and organizing arson attacks in various European countries, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
They are alleged to have sent parcels containing homemade explosive devices via courier services to other EU countries and the United Kingdom on behalf of the Russian intelligence service, the Vilnius Prosecutor General's Office announced last night.
The flammable devices with timers were hidden in massage pillows and cosmetic tubes.
The shipments were sent by a Lithuanian citizen on July 19, 2024. Two parcels were loaded onto a DHL cargo plane from Vilnius to the United Kingdom, and two others were sent to Poland by land with DPD trucks.
One of the packages caught fire at a DHL logistics center in the German city of Leipzig, from where it was supposed to be loaded for its final destination. Another package exploded on July 21 in a truck in Poland, and a third exploded on July 22 in a DHL warehouse in the British city of Birmingham. The fourth shipment did not ignite due to a technical defect, the authorities said in a statement.
The prosecutor's office did not specify how many people were arrested in Lithuania or in other countries.
During the investigation, it was found that the actions were organized and coordinated by Russian citizens with ties to Russian military intelligence services.
A total of 15 people are suspected of organizing and carrying out the alleged attacks. An international arrest warrant has been issued for three of them, authorities said.
The investigation has led to more than 30 searches in Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia, during which more explosive devices have been found. Authorities suspect that they may have been used to plan further attacks.