In March, a bank employee in Nuremberg opens an envelope and triggers a flash of flame. More threatening letters follow before the blackmail series suddenly ends. The police can secure leads, but are groping in the dark when looking for a suspect.
The blackmail attempt by Commerzbank leaves the investigators puzzled. In the spring, the perpetrator had sent a prepared letter to a bank branch in Nuremberg, from which a jet of flame came out when it was opened. Others followed at two subsidiaries – a company in Frankfurt am Main and a law firm in Fürth. There have been no more letters since the last letters in May, said police spokesman Michael Konrad. The reasons why the perpetrator no longer reported are unclear.
So far, the police have not been able to identify a suspect in the case. Human traces were found on the letters that came from a man, said Konrad. A comparison with various databases has not resulted in any hits so far. However, the success of the investigation cannot be ruled out. “If a perpetrator appears who leaves these traces again, we can merge the cases.”
In Nuremberg, a 63-year-old bank employee opened a DIN A5 envelope on March 24 and caused a flash of flame. The woman suffered shock but was unharmed. According to the investigators, a mechanical construction was installed in the envelope, which triggered a chemical reaction when opened. Since then, Commerzbank has been warning its customers about dangerous postal items on its website.
Similar envelopes had not caused any damage to the two Commerzbank subsidiaries in April because the post offices there had taken notice. However, the letter was opened at the Fürth law firm in May and a gas escaped. Numerous police and rescue workers moved out. But nobody was injured.