Bundestag police have warned lawmakers about suspicious USB sticks mailed to offices of several factions. The packages include English-language letters and must not be plugged into computers. Police are now investigating the shipments.
Bundestag police informed several factions this week about suspicious USB sticks that arrived by mail at lawmakers' offices. According to the Union faction, the packages contained an English-language letter and a USB stick. In a letter from the CDU executive, the German Bundestag's police reported that such packages had arrived at offices of multiple factions. Lawmakers were explicitly warned not to plug the stick into a computer. Instead, the police requested the shipments be sent back in a separate envelope.
Other factions confirmed the warning. The AfD faction reported that the Bundestag administration had sent an email alerting them to the sticks. A faction spokesperson stated: “Several lawmakers received a letter with a USB stick.” In known cases, the sticks were handed over to the administration or destroyed directly, as recommended.
The Left faction said it had not yet received any reports from its lawmakers about such USB sticks. However, the faction had been warned by the Bundestag administration in the previous and current weeks. First Parliamentary Manager Ina Latendorf said: “The faction was ... warned against using suspicious USB sticks sent by mail.”
Media outlets like Welt and Politico had previously reported on the incidents. Police plan to examine the shipments to check for potential threats like malware.