Car broke through fence at Leipzig airport – two men turn themselves in after the incident

According to police, two men turned themselves in after breaking through a security fence at Leipzig/Halle Airport. As the German Press Agency learned from security circles, there are a 20-year-old and a 32-year-old. “Bild” had previously reported that the two men were two Syrians. They are said to have stated that they had been practicing for a driving test.

The Leipzig police spoke of an accident in a statement. The investigations into specific processes have not yet been completed.

The two men reported to the Leipzig public prosecutor's office and the criminal police with their lawyers on Sunday evening. The 20-year-old is said to have been behind the wheel even though he did not have a valid driver's license. He reported through his lawyer that he had broken through the fence and then left the scene of the accident.

According to police, the 32-year-old owner of the car did not provide any further information. The vehicle was seized and towed away on a private request. Investigators found it on the premises of a car dealership. An on-call judge had ordered its seizure and search.

The 20-year-old is being investigated on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident without permission and driving without a license. Investigators are investigating the 32-year-old to see whether he could have been driving without a license. The investigation into the events, the involvement in the crime and a possible motive are ongoing.

Airport security discovered the damaged fence during a routine patrol shortly before 11 p.m. on Saturday. Emergency services searched the area several times, including with a police helicopter and drone technology. They found neither unauthorized persons nor suspicious objects. The north runway was initially closed and was reopened on Sunday around 2 p.m.

The incident also caused a stir against the background of an earlier security incident: at the beginning of August, a drone prepared with explosives was discovered next to Ukrainian cargo planes at the airport. The federal government blamed Russia for the attempted attack, but Moscow rejected the allegations. It is unclear whether there is a connection to the current incident.

Three Russian Antonov cargo planes have been at the airport since 2022 due to EU sanctions against Russia. Like the damaged fence, they are in the northern area, but not in the immediate vicinity, said airport spokesman Uwe Schuhart. Ukrainian Antonov cargo planes are in the southern area and therefore significantly further away.