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Investigators Tie European Parcel Fires to Suspected Russian Military Intelligence, Name 22 Suspects

Two cases have reached court following a Eurojust-led probe into self-igniting devices sent through air freight.

Overview

  • Authorities in Lithuania, Poland, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands formed a Eurojust-backed team to share evidence on cargo fires across multiple countries.
  • Investigators identified 22 suspects in Lithuania and Poland believed to have acted for Russia’s GRU, with two prosecutions now filed and further trials expected later this year.
  • Four parcels dispatched from Lithuania were linked to incidents in the UK, Germany and Poland, including fires at a DHL depot near Birmingham and at Leipzig airport, plus a device in a Polish truck.
  • Two test packages were traced to the United States and Canada, and two similar parcels were found in Amsterdam destined for those countries.
  • Devices were hidden in consumer massage products with timed igniters; officials describe recruitment via messaging apps with cryptocurrency payments, and a 38-year-old Romanian arrested in the UK in 2025 remains under investigation.