Romanian man arrested for Russia-connected DHL warehouse fire in the United Kingdom

A Romanian man was arrested on March 19 in connection with a fire at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, in south-central United Kingdom. The fire took place in July 2024 and was caused by a suspected Russian incendiary device.

The fire, which caused no injuries or significant damage, was caused by a package, according to counter-terrorism police. The parcel arrived at the DHL warehouse by air, though it is not known if it was in a cargo or passenger aircraft, nor where it was supposed to go, according to The Guardian.

The 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, under section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, according to the British Metropolitan police. He was picked up by police after he arrived at Stansted airport on an inbound flight.

“On Monday, July 22, 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,” police said at that time.

Official sources also confirmed that a man was arrested and taken to London before being released on bail. Moreover, searches were conducted at two addresses in Essex.

British investigators suspect the incendiary device is part of a wider campaign that Russian spies have been carrying out across Europe. A similar incident occurred in Germany, in late July 2024, when a package bound for a flight caught fire at a DHL warehouse in Leipzig.

(Photo source: Flynt | Dreamstime.com)