2 arrested over attempted sabotage of German navy warships

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - German authorities have arrested two shipyard workers on suspicion of attempting to sabotage multiple navy warships, officials said Tuesday.

A 37-year-old Romanian national and a 54-year-old Greek national were detained in coordinated operations, and authorities also searched their homes in Romania and Greece.

The Bild newspaper reported that the suspects carried out sabotage acts while working at a Hamburg shipyard last year, where several German navy warships were undergoing maintenance.

Prosecutors told the newspaper that the men poured corrosive material into a warship's engine block, punctured freshwater pipes, removed fuel tank caps, and disabled electrical safety switches on the vessels.

Authorities also said the evaluation of seized evidence was ongoing, and investigators were examining whether the suspects acted on behalf of others.