Investigation Intensifies: Suspects in Car Sabotage Case Rise

The public prosecutor's office in Ulm has taken the lead in the investigation of a series of sabotage incidents involving cars, where perpetrators have been using construction foam as a method of vandalism. The number of suspects in this case has now increased to five.

Recent developments have revealed that a 19-year-old woman, who has no prior criminal record, has been identified as a new suspect. This information was disclosed by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Interior in response to a query from the Green Party in the state parliament. The group of suspects now includes a 17-year-old male, a 20-year-old man, an 18-year-old, and a 29-year-old man, with the latter two having previous convictions.

The 18-year-old was previously convicted by the Ulm District Court for driving without a license and fleeing the scene of an accident, while the 29-year-old received a fine for negligent bodily harm in two separate cases. Law enforcement officials apprehended three of the male suspects in Brandenburg during a traffic stop, where multiple cartridges of construction foam were discovered.

Approximately 170 vehicles across Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Brandenburg have reportedly been affected by these acts of vandalism. The Ulm public prosecutor's office has centralized the investigation concerning these sabotage incidents spanning multiple federal states. So far, six locations in Baden-Württemberg have been searched, although no arrests were made during a search conducted in February.

During the investigations, several mobile phones and electronic storage devices were seized. Authorities also reported the recovery of multiple cans of construction foam. The suspects reportedly provided minimal information during their interrogations, according to the public prosecutor's office in Ulm. The involvement of state security forces has been noted as part of the ongoing investigation.

There are suspicions that a Russian intelligence agency may be behind these sabotage activities. Security sources suggest that the individuals involved may have received financial compensation from a Russian entity for their actions. The potential connection to Russian involvement is currently a focal point of the investigation.

The German domestic intelligence agency has observed a trend over recent months in which Russian operatives are allegedly recruiting individuals, often from petty criminal backgrounds, to conduct espionage and sabotage activities in exchange for payment. This shift may be attributed to the challenges faced by Russia in deploying professional spies due to enhanced scrutiny from Western intelligence agencies and sanctions.