Third suspect arrested for telecom mast arson in Dronten

A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the April 10 arson of a transmission mast in Dronten, the police confirmed on Friday. The arrest was revealed as a buried detail in a document police released on the 29 telecom masts that were intentionally set on fire since the beginning of April.

No information was released about the date and location of the arrest, and as of Friday evening details including the suspect's age, gender, and hometown, were still being kept under wraps. A police spokesperson reached by phone was unable to provide more facts in the case. The two other suspects, brothers who were arrested separately last month after being captured on surveillance camera, have both denied their involvement in the incident.

According to a police chart, 29 incidents involving arson against transmission towers have been reported across the Netherlands to date, with the first taking place on Apr. 3 and the most recent taking place on Tuesday. The attacks have seen a grand total of four arrests; three of which were in connection with the incident in Dronten and the other in connection with an Apr. 23 incident in Groningen.

Many of the arson incidents are believed to be linked to conspiracy theories concerning the use of 5G wireless communications. Some unproven theories suggest that 5G weakens the respiratory system, leaving people susceptible to becoming infected by the novel coronavirus.