Police investigate suspicious object found near Dormagen substation

German police are examining a suspicious object found near a power substation in Dormagen, between Cologne and Düsseldorf. A passerby discovered the unidentified item on the ground near the facility in the Gohr district in the early evening.

A police spokesperson in Neuss said the object could be a launching device, although that had not been established. Investigators also have not ruled out a fake device placed by a copycat. Police seized the item and sent it for expert examination to determine whether it could have been used to attack the power supply.

There was no attack on the Dormagen substation and no power outage. The discovery came two days after an attack at a substation in Bergheim, west of Cologne, where several launching devices were found. They appeared to have been designed to raise a wire to the level of power lines and create a short circuit when the wire was grounded.

A similar incident occurred in Brandenburg, where investigators also believe someone tried to connect a high-voltage line to the ground and trigger a short circuit. Police are examining a possible claim of responsibility and possible links between the incidents. Investigators in both cases suspect anti-constitutional sabotage.