Counter terror police rushed to Stansted Airport to arrest a man on suspicion of “assisting foreign intelligence” after a package triggered a fire at a DHL warehouse.
The fire at the warehouse in Minworth, a village just outside Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands, broke out last year on July 22 after a parcel detonated. While no one was injured in the blaze, the incident raised eyebrows after US officials warned the GRU – Russia’s main intelligence service – was targeting courier firms operating across Europe. Russia has denied any involvement in the string of incidents, but the Metropolitan Police have arrested a Romanian national on suspicion of working with foreign security services after he arrived in the UK on March 19.
The Met said the man was arrested by officers after arriving at Stansted Airport under section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. A spokesperson for the service said members of its counter-terrorism command have taken charge of the investigation following the single arrest.
They said: “We can confirm that officers from counter-terrorism policing are investigating an incident at a commercial premises in Midpoint Way, Minworth. On Monday 22 July, 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.
“Due to the circumstances, and the specialist capability and expertise in investigating such matters, the investigation is being led by officers from the Met’s counter-terrorism command with support from colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands. The investigation remains ongoing and one man has been arrested for offences under the National Security Act.”
A spokesperson for Counter Terror Policing said: “Due to the circumstances, and the specialist capability and expertise in investigating such matters, the investigation is being led by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command with support from colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands.
“The investigation remains ongoing and one man has been arrested for offences under the National Security Act. The 38-year-old Romanian national was arrested on 19 March after arriving at Stansted airport on an inbound flight to the UK. He was arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, under section 3 of the National Security Act 2023 and he was detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (Pace).”
The parcel is believed to have arrived at the DHL warehouse by air before it caught fire in July, but investigators are yet to clarify whether this was via cargo or passenger plane, and nothing yet to indicate where the package was meant to end up. It is believed Russian operatives may have planted the bomb in the package before it exploded.
Early intelligence assessments concluding there could have been serious consequences from the device igniting during the flight were supported by images from the scene. The man arrested in connection with the incident was taken to a police station in London, and has been released on bail ahead of a July court appearance.
The Met confirmed that officers had carried out searches of two properties in Essex as investigations continue, with counter terrorism personnel liaising with law enforcement across Europe. The spokesperson added that they are working to identify whether the Minworth incident may be connected to others across the continent.
The spokesperson added: “As part of our inquiries, 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.”
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.
