Two arrested after incendiary devices hit Rohde and Schwarz site

Two people have been arrested after incendiary devices were thrown at a construction site in Munich overnight, BR reported. One device started a fire near construction containers outside the headquarters of technology company Rohde and Schwarz, while police specialists neutralised another.

A witness told police that the devices were thrown from a car in Munich’s eastern Berg am Laim district during the night into Thursday. Police quickly extinguished the fire, and no major damage was reported.

Two suspects arrested

Police launched an immediate search and arrested a 28 year old woman and a 38 year old man at a nearby petrol station on the Innsbrucker Ring. Both are Bulgarian citizens. Investigators are examining their possible connection to the suspected arson attack. They are presumed innocent.

Munich police initially attended the scene. The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office and Munich General Prosecutor’s Office are now also investigating. They believe the incident may have had a political motive.

Helsing headquarters nearby

The devices landed on Rohde and Schwarz’s premises directly behind Munich East railway station. The headquarters of defence company Helsing is located opposite, with the Werksviertel district and the Mittlerer Ring road nearby.

A Rohde and Schwarz spokesperson confirmed to BR that police and firefighters had attended the company’s headquarters but said the company’s operational premises were not affected.

In 2021, unknown perpetrators set fire to a power line that was exposed in a construction pit near Rohde and Schwarz. That incident remains unsolved. Rohde and Schwarz is involved in defence projects, while Helsing develops drones among other products.