Police discover 9 more explosive devices along power lines in eastern Germany

German police discovered nine additional homemade explosive devices in the immediate vicinity of high-voltage power lines following attempted attacks on the power grid in the eastern state of Saxony, authorities said Monday.

The explosive devices were defused by special forces from the Saxony State Criminal Police Office, according to a statement from the agency. This brings the total number of explosive devices recently found in Saxony to 21.

On Saturday, authorities had already announced that 12 explosive devices were found in the Lusatian lignite mining region.

“These were intended to cause damage to high-voltage power lines by inducing a short circuit,” reported the police and the Dresden State Prosecutor’s Office. They said that no damage to the had been done to the power grid and that there was no danger to the public.

Manhunt for suspected saboteur

Separately, police expanded their investigation and search for a suspected power grid saboteur, authorities said Monday.

A 48-year-old man is suspected of carrying out a series of attempted sabotage attacks on Germany’s power network since last week in the states of Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Investigators published a wanted notice with photos and asked the public for tips.

During a major operation Monday between Remscheid and Wuppertal in North Rhine-Westphalia, officers searched for a suspicious individual carrying a backpack. The person had been spotted at a substation in Remscheid. It was initially unclear whether the individual was the suspect being sought.

A spokesperson for Cologne police told German news agency DPA that operations have been underway in the greater Wuppertal area since the morning in connection with numerous attacks on the power grid across several states. A helicopter was also circling the area between Remscheid-Luttringhausen and Wuppertal-Ronsdorf.