Brandstiffer in Brandenburg: drugs and fire - who is behind it?

Brandstiffer in Brandenburg: drugs and fire - who is behind it?

Brandenburg, Deutschland - in Brandenburg it is bubbling not only in the forest, but also in the minds of the investigators! A shocking series of arson has shaken the region in recent years. Hundreds of forest fires that were deliberately laid not only devastated nature, but also kept the fire brigade in suspense for weeks. Who are the masterminds behind these devastating acts? The police are hunting for the perpetrators!

on June 11, 2022, at summer 26 degrees, the two men lit Stefan S. and Roman B. their fourth forest fire. These acts are part of a terrifying series of a total of 13 fires, which the district court of Neuruppin later uncovered. The two young men, who were under the influence of drugs and alcohol, were looking for a way out of their personal problems with their fiery actions. According to the suspects' confessions, the cocktail of beer, cocaine and cannabis was the trigger for their arson, which they used as a distraction from their fears of existence.

arson in the focus of the investigation

The statistics are alarming: Around 400 of around 1,800 forest fires in Brandenburg have been deliberately laid since 2019. Brandenburg's forest fire protection officer Raimund Engel warns that many arson may not be recorded as such, since there are often no specific indications of intentions. The police have a hard time grasping the perpetrators because many traces are destroyed by the fires. A dark field of about 650 cases is therefore often hidden.

The investigation is a race against time. In the forests near Jüterbog and other regions such as Kyritz and Herzberg, the authorities are looking for the arsonists. But the challenges are enormous. The criminalist Harry Jäkel explains that the local police inspections often do not have the necessary specialization in order to effectively convert arsonists. The perpetrators are mostly male and often voluntary firefighters who hope for a special place in the community through their deeds.