Man detained over Lidl mail bomb

A 66-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a series of parcel bombs sent to German food firms, authorities said on Saturday.

The man, from the city of Ulm in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg, was detained a day earlier, according to the public prosecutor's office in Heidelberg.

His name wasn't given in line with German privacy laws.

Three firms were sent parcel bombs over the past few days, including the ADM Wild factory in Eppelheim, the supermarket chain Lidl in Neckarsulm and the baby food manufacturer Hipp, based in the southern state of Bavaria. The latter was intercepted and defused.

Three people were injured and taken to hospital when the device sent to the Lidl office exploded. Around 100 people were evacuated from the building. 

"We assume there is a connection," Heidelberg state prosecutors said in a statement. 

Further incidents were "not likely" but "could not be ruled out entirely", they added.

Police said the suspect was not previously known to them and he did not immediately give investigators a statement.

Prosecutors said on Thursday that a 100-member special commission has been set up to investigate the incidents.

Germany's food federation has warned its members to remain vigilant when receiving post, the German press agency DPA reported.

mvb/mm(dpa, AFP)