Counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Russian spies planted an incendiary device on a plane to Britain that later caught fire at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, the Guardian can reveal.
Nobody was reported injured in the fire on 22 July at a warehouse in the suburb of Minworth that handles parcels for delivery, and the blaze was dealt with by the local fire brigade and by staff.
The parcel is believed to have arrived at the DHL warehouse by air, though it is not known if it was a cargo or passenger aircraft, nor where it was destined for. There could have been serious consequences if it had ignited during the flight.
A similar incident occurred in Germany, also in late July, when a suspect package bound for a flight caught fire at another DHL facility in Leipzig, and investigators are looking at links between the two. German authorities warned this week that had the parcel caught fire mid-air it could have downed the plane.
Thomas Haldenwang, the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service, told members of the country’s parliament on Monday that had the Leipzig package started burning during a flight “it would have resulted in a crash”.
However, the incident in Birmingham was only disclosed after joint inquiries by the Guardian and German broadcasters WDR and NDR, prompting questions as to why the authorities did not reveal it earlier.
A Metropolitan police counter-terrorism spokesperson 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.”
British investigators suspect that the incendiary device is part of a wider campaign that Russian spies have been carrying out across Europe this year, which has been condemned as rash and careless by spy chiefs in the UK and elsewhere.
Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, warned last week that Russia’s GRU military intelligence appeared to be on “a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets: we’ve seen arson, sabotage and more”.
The British spy chief accused Russia of engaging in “dangerous actions conducted with increasing recklessness” and argued that the plotting was counter-productive for the Kremlin because it was “driving increased operational coordination with partners across Europe and beyond”.
Russia’s motive appears to have been to try to inflict a cost on western allies of Ukraine, though the plots are at times precise and at others poorly coordinated and amateurish. But the Kremlin usually denies it is engaged in sabotage activity and has in the past dismissed its accusers of engaging in conspiracy theories.
A warehouse in east London belonging to a company linked to Ukraine caught fire in a suspected arson attack in March. Seven men have been charged with involvement in the incident, which has been linked to a Russian plot.
A shopping centre in Warsaw was destroyed by a fire in May. Shortly after, Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, said was “quite likely” that the blaze was caused by operatives from Russia’s intelligence services.
However, the most serious plot uncovered was an attempt to assassinate Armin Papperger, the chief executive of the German arms maker Rheinmetall. In July, it was reported that US intelligence services had foiled Russian plans to murder him.
Met counter-terrorism police are leading the Birmingham investigation with support from specialist officers from the West Midlands, and are comparing notes with investigators around Europe.
Last month, DHL said the package that started burning in Germany was originally posted from Lithuania. The company said at the time it had tightened “security protocols and procedures” in line with advice from European authorities.
The German newspaper Tagesspiegel reported that the incendiary device had started burning in Leipzig as it was about to be loaded on a cargo plane. The flight had been delayed. If the plane taken off on time, it would have ignited mid-air.
If a Russian connection to Birmingham or Leipzig incidents is proved, it is not immediately obvious what plotters were seeking to achieve. Any plot that would have led to the bringing down of a plane would have attracted widespread international condemnation.
Though Haldenwang did not say Russia was behind the German fire when he gave evidence at the Bundestag, he accused the Kremlin’s spy agencies of engaging in “aggressive behaviour” that was “putting people’s lives at risk”.
No arrests have been made in relation to the Birmingham fire, and British police inquiries are continuing. “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 police spokesperson said.
Approached for comment, DHL said it was taking action “to secure its network, staff and assets as well as customer shipments” in reaction to what it described as “ongoing investigations by authorities from several countries”.