Witnesses sought as another transmission mast is set alight

Police were looking for witnesses on Tuesday who may have seen those responsible for setting a transmission mast on fire in Roosendaal. Firefighters were sent to the Hollewegje in the Noord-Brabant town for the suspected arson at about 1:07 a.m.

The damage was still being assessed Tuesday morning. It was at least the 29th time that a telecommunications mast was set alight since April.

Some of the arsons were believed to be a response to online conspiracy theories about the 5G wireless network, with one internet theory suggesting that the wireless network weakens the immune system and makes victims more susceptible to illness, like Covid-19.

The mast arsons being investigated by police were also getting attention from national counterterrorism office NCTV, as well as domestic intelligence office AIVD. To date, three people have been kept in custody over the fires, including two brothers who say they are innocent.

Nobody was in custody for the early Tuesday morning fire. Police wanted to speak with anyone with knowledge of the fire or the suspects involved, and also others in the area with video systems that may have caught something suspicious on camera.