Man arrested in Germany over alleged role in Polish Starlink arson

Specialist police officers arrested the Turkish national on 3 November in the Reutlingen district of Baden-Württemberg, state police and Stuttgart prosecutors said.

Investigators allege that he commissioned two men, who were arrested in Germany on 12 October at Poland’s request, to carry out the attack. They also suspect that he arranged for another suspect to drive the pair to Poland overnight into 23 September.

In a separate German investigation, a Stuttgart judge ordered the newly arrested man to be held on remand on strong suspicion of preparing a terrorist offence, the authorities said. Police seized eight mobile phones and ammunition from him.

The fire broke out on the evening of 23 September at a Starlink ground station in Wola Krobowska. Poland’s internal security agency, the ABW, said footage showed two masked people entering the site, spreading flammable liquid and setting equipment alight.

The two men arrested in October, also Turkish nationals, remained in custody as of 3 November. Proceedings to extradite them to Poland were continuing, German authorities said.