Police building cases against 5G bashers after string of arsons

Police are moving full speed ahead with investigations into several arson attacks on telecommunications infrastructure usually falsely associated with 5G networks, with 22 people expected to face court for inciting others to commit the act.

According to police spokesperson Christos Andreou, law enforcement officials held a meeting on Thursday morning with representatives of all telecommunications companies on the island in view of finding effective ways of putting an end to such incidents, a chain of which have taken place in Cyprus in the recent period.

The police detailed measures already taken to curb the phenomenon, with both the police and telecommunications companies agreeing to step up measures.

Andreou said police have so far identified 22 people who were found to have used social media to incite others to cause damage to telecommunications infrastructure, with cases being built against all of them.

“Eight of these cases took place in the Limassol district,” Andreou said, adding that the police is investigating all cases, while closely cooperating with telecommunications companies in view of preventing additional arson attacks.

“The public, or more specifically the perpetrators, must realize that destroying such infrastructure potentially places human lives in danger. When such infrastructure is destroyed, telephone communications die across a large area, resulting in people who may potentially be in danger being unable to call for help,” Andreou said, adding that businesses are also affected.

The most recent arson attack took place in the early hours on Wednesday, with perpetrators torching a telecommunications station and a cell phone antenna in the Limassol district.

Limassol saw several incidents over the last few months where mobile phone antennas were targeted by arsonists, with officials linking attacks with an anti-5G technology craze that has also emerged in other European countries.