Two People Arrested in Connection with Attempt to Sabotage German Navy Ship

Illustration of a German warship base. (Wikimedia Commons/Martina Nolte)

JAKARTA - Two suspects are linked to an alleged attempt to sabotage a German naval ship at a pier in the port of Hamburg, northern Germany, last year, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

A 37-year-old Romanian and a 54-year-old Greek suspect were arrested in Hamburg and in a village in Greece "on suspicion of sabotage attempts on defense vessels," they said in a statement.

The two men are accused of putting more than 20 kilograms (about 40 pounds) of sand into the ship's engine block, drilling a hole in the water supply line, removing the fuel tank cap, and disabling an electronic safety switch.

"If the sabotage is not detected, it will cause significant damage to the ships or, at least, delay their departure, potentially endangering the security of the Federal Republic of Germany and the operational effectiveness of the troops," the prosecutor said, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (4/2).

The prosecutor added that his party was still investigating the background of the alleged sabotage.

It is known that Germany and other NATO member states throughout Europe are on high alert regarding alleged Russian espionage, drone surveillance and sabotage.