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A Turkish organized crime group known as the Daltons is suspected of carrying out an arson attack on a Starlink internet terminal in Poland on behalf of Russian intelligence services, German media reported.
A Der Spiegel report, citing independent sources in several countries, pointed to possible links between the gang and the Sept. 23 fire at the satellite internet station in central Poland. Polish authorities have described the incident as a targeted sabotage operation and attributed it to Russia.
Two Turkish citizens were arrested Monday in Nurtingen, in Germany's Baden-Wurttemberg state, following a Polish request for legal assistance and European arrest warrants, the report said. Polish authorities accuse the men of involvement in the attack.
The report identified the arrested men as Umit E., 38, and Muslum T., 34. The Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart is expected to decide on their extradition to Poland.
Several security agencies suspect the two men were members of the Daltons or were recruited by people linked to the gang. Investigators also suspect the group may have received instructions from Russian intelligence services, although the alleged links have not been established publicly.
The Starlink terminal carries particular significance because Ukraine's military relies on the satellite-based internet service to coordinate its defense against Russia's invasion.
The Daltons are considered one of Europe's most powerful organized crime groups, the report noted, highlighting that their activities extend beyond Türkiye to Germany and other European countries, where members have been linked to extortion, arms trafficking and contract killings.
The gang's alleged leader, Beratcan Gokdemir, was arrested in Russia in 2024, prompting Türkiye to seek his extradition. German security authorities have alleged that Russia allowed him to continue operating and provided him with protection, the report said, while Gokdemir's current whereabouts remain unclear.
German officials and security agencies have warned for months that Russia could turn to organized crime groups to carry out sabotage operations across Europe.
In May, Germany's Interior Ministry, responding to a request from the Green Party, identified cooperation between Russian authorities and organized crime actors as particularly suited to sabotage and assassination operations.
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