LONDON (Reuters) – A Romanian man has been arrested for assisting a foreign spy service over a fire at a DHL warehouse in Britain last year, London police said on Thursday, with detectives examining if it was linked to similar incidents across Europe blamed on Russia.
Counter-terrorism officers have been leading an investigation into the blaze after a package caught alight at the warehouse in Birmingham, central England, last July over suspicions of possible Russian involvement. The fire caused no injuries or significant damage.
Security officials in Europe have accused Moscow of being behind a wide campaign of sabotage, which has seen a number of other blazes at courier depots in Germany and Poland, with a source close to the Polish case telling Reuters that homemade explosives had been hidden in cosmetics and sex toys.
Last October, the head of Britain’s domestic spy agency MI5, Ken McCallum, said Russia’s GRU military intelligence service was trying to cause “mayhem” across Britain and Europe.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement in any arson incidents, saying such accusations were false and an example of Russophobia.
British police said the 38-year-old Romanian suspect in the Birmingham fire had been arrested after landing on a flight at London’s Stansted Airport on March 19.
“He was arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service,” a counter terrorism police spokesperson said. “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.”
The man was released on police bail until a date in July.
The case is one of a number that British police and security officials have linked to Russia.
Two British men have admitted carrying out an arson attack on a London commercial property linked to Ukraine, and have also pleaded guilty to other offences under the National Security Act, brought in last year to crack down on hostile activity by foreign states.
Last month, a group of Bulgarians were convicted of spying for Russia.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
