After a large-scale operation due to a flash of fire triggered when a letter was opened in a Commerzbank branch in Nuremberg, the police warn of possible further cases. The police headquarters in Central Franconia announced on Wednesday that it could not be ruled out that the perpetrator would send other dangerous letters to branches and customers of the bank. The background is therefore an attempt at blackmail. On March 24, a 63-year-old employee in the post office of the Nuremberg branch opened the envelope in DIN A5 format and caused a flash of flame. The woman was unharmed, she suffered a shock.
Initially, the background and a possible motive remained unclear. The police announced on Wednesday that the perpetrator had now contacted Commerzbank. He threatened to send further dangerous letters to branches and customers if his request for payment was not complied with. There is therefore no evidence that such letters were actually sent. According to a police spokesman, the envelope addressed to the Nuremberg branch contained a frame that could be felt from the outside. A mechanical construction was installed in it, which triggered a chemical reaction and thus the jet of flame when it was opened. Given the “craftsmanship” that the perpetrator had shown, it was possible that letters could be sent with an even greater effect than in the Nuremberg case.
A suspect has not yet been identified
“We cannot guarantee how this perpetrator will behave,” said the police spokesman. “We don’t know if he’s building something that’s going to be implemented even more violently.” Traces and clues are being followed, but a suspect has not yet been identified. At the police headquarters in Central Franconia, a unit with a good 50 employees was formed under the name “Klammer”. It was initially unclear what the threat was that letters would also be sent to customers – whether and from where the perpetrator had knowledge of customers and their addresses. It will also be checked whether he has a connection to Commerzbank, said the police spokesman.
Investigators warned to always be suspicious of unexpected mail. They should be checked for any abnormalities in texture, especially bumps or tangible hard objects inside. If so, contact the sender. Suspicious shipments should be handled with extreme care and not opened. Instead, you should call the police. The Commerzbank in Frankfurt am Main asked to observe the police’s instructions on how to behave. In a statement, the bank confirmed the police’s statement that it was a case of blackmail and that the perpetrator could circulate other programs aimed at branches and their customers.