Three people were arrested after breaking into a hangar where German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's private plane is located, being suspected of trying to sabotage the aircraft.
The aircraft belongs to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz PHOTO Profimedia
Two women and a man, aged 23, 28 and 56, are suspected of intending to damage the aircraft, prosecutors in Arnsberg, Merz's hometown, said, according to the DPA agency.
The three were arrested for trespassing after trespassing at Arnsberg-Menden airfield at night.
Friedrich Merz, who took over as chancellor last May, is an aviation enthusiast and lives in Arnsberg, about 400 kilometers southwest of Berlin.
Police suspicions were raised after a driver asked for directions to an airfield in the area. He was later identified as a well-known left-wing activist, and the attention of law enforcement was directed to the airfield where Merz's plane was located, which led to the arrest of the three German citizens.
A self-titled group “Resistance Collective” took responsibility for the attempted sabotage, stating that a “attempted to ground Friedrich Merz's private plane as part of protest action”.
