By Canadian Press

Quebec provincial police arrest pair in connection with cell phone tower fires

May 7, 2020 | 6:37 AM

MONTREAL — Quebec provincial police say they’ve arrested two people in connection with a spate of cell phone tower fires in recent days.

Police say the pair, in their 20s, will be questioned following the arrests early today in Ste-Adele, northwest of Montreal.

Two more fires were set early Thursday in St-Jerome and Blainville, adding to other cases north of Montreal earlier this week.

A spokesman said the force’s major crimes unit took over the case and will investigate possible links between the blazes, including if they can be traced back to people holding conspiracy theories about 5G technology.

False narratives around 5G — the fifth-generation technology standard for cellphone companies — and COVID-19 have been shared hundreds of thousands of times on social media, leading to attacks on towers across Europe.

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The majority, if not all, of the Quebec towers targeted by suspected arson don’t have 5G capabilities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2020.

The Canadian Press