A fire at a DHL warehouse believed to have been caused by an incendiary device could be a sign Russia is looking to wreak havoc in the UK, an expert has warned.
Counter-terrorism police are currently investigating Moscow’s involvement in the terrifying incident at a DHL hub in Minworth, Birmingham, on 22 July.
Russian spies are believed to have hidden an incendiary device inside a package that was loaded onto a plane bound for Britain.
It then burst into flames in the warehouse a few hours later.
While no one was injured in the fire, German authorities warned this week that the plane could have been shot down if it had caught fire in mid-flight.
Now, Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association that represents the air transport industry in the United States, has warned of the consequences of Russian involvement.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Russia was behind an incendiary device that burst into flames at this DHL hub in Minworth, Birmingham.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the Security Council meeting on nuclear deterrence at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on September 25.
Another suspicious package exploded at a DHL logistics center in Leipzig before it could be loaded onto a plane (file photo)
he said the guardian: ‘It seems like the goal is just to disrupt the supply chain, create havoc and just scare people.
“They want people to lose confidence in the system.”
The revelation comes just a day after German intelligence warned that a similar incident in Leipzig, also in late July, nearly caused a fatal plane crash.
Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany’s intelligence service, said Tuesday that a disaster was narrowly averted after a package caught fire on the ground at DHL’s logistics center in Leipzig, rather than in the air.
The plane had been delayed and experts warned there could have been a very different outcome if it had taken off on time.
It is not yet clear who the package was sent to or who was to blame for the attack, although security services are working on the basis that Putin’s agents were involved in the near-miss.
The Kremlin’s aggression is “putting people’s lives at risk” and affecting “all areas of our free society,” Haldenwang said.
The suspicious package is believed to have been shipped from Lithuania, before exploding at the logistics centre, setting an entire cargo container on fire.
Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany’s intelligence service, said Tuesday that a disaster was narrowly averted after a package caught fire on the ground at DHL’s logistics center in Leipzig, instead of in the air as planned.
Last month, DHL said it had “taken action” in light of the incidents in the UK and Germany.
A DHL spokesperson said: ‘In response to ongoing investigations by authorities in several countries, DHL Express has taken measures in all European countries to protect its network, its employees and facilities, as well as its customers’ shipments. .
“We are aware of two recent incidents that affected shipments in our network.”
Regarding the incident in Birmingham, a Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism spokesperson told MailOnline: “We can confirm that Counter-Terrorism Police officers are investigating an incident at a business premises in Midpoint Way, Minworth.
«On Monday, July 22, a package caught fire at the location. At that time local staff and firefighters dealt with the matter and no injuries or major damage were reported.’
‘Due to the circumstances and the specialist capability and experience in investigating such matters, the investigation is being led by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command with support from colleagues from West Midlands Counter Terrorism Police.
‘The investigation remains ongoing and there have been no arrests in our investigation at this time.
“As part of our investigations, officers are liaising with other European law enforcement partners to identify whether or not this may be linked to other similar incidents across Europe.”
