Brussels attack: Fire at crime laboratory was likely attempt ‘to destroy evidence’
August 29, 2016
One or more attackers ram car through three fences at city’s institute of criminology
A large fire at a crime laboratory in Brussels was probably an arson attack designed to destroy criminal evidence, authorities have said.
Attackers rammed a car through fences before starting a fire at the crime lab in the Belgian capital in what is thought to be a likely attempt ‘to destroy evidence’, the city’s prosecutors said.
There were no casualties as a result of the attack which took place at around 2am in the Neder-Over-Heembeek suburb in the north of the city.
Five people nearby were detained following the attack, but were subsequently released without charge, spokeswoman Ine Van Wymersch told a news conference.
She said the likely aim of the attack was to destroy “several files” in the building.
“The location was not chosen randomly,” she said. “It’s an important site that includes sensitive documents relating to current investigations.”
The institute carries out forensic examinations in criminal cases and is linked to the Belgian federal justice ministry.
It is unclear so far what happened to the suspects.
“The laboratory does thousands of analyses each year, so we don’t know what damage has been done yet,” said Ms Van Wymersch.
“It is obvious that several individuals would have an interest in making elements in their justice file disappear.”
Earlier reports said the attackers had detonated a bomb during the attack, but the Brussels prosecutor’s office rejected reports of a bomb attack, and said the loud sounds heard were probably materials going up in flames.
The partially destroyed front of Belgium’s National Institute of Criminology following the attack (Reuters)
“It’s probably not terrorism. It’s a criminal act,” Ms Van Wymersch said. “I cannot confirm that there was any bomb.”
Belgium remains on high terror alert following an attack claimed by Isis on Brussels airport and the city’s metro in March in which 32 people were killed by three suicide bombers.
The police and army have been deployed in large numbers since suicide bombers attacked Paris last November, leaving 130 dead. Many of the attackers were subsequently discovered to have had links to Belgium.
In addition, two hoax anthrax attacks along with a series of knife and gun attacks mean tensions have been running high in the Belgian capital in recent weeks.
