‘Arson’ attack on Belgium’s crime laboratory

Attackers rammed a car through the gates of Belgium’s national crime laboratory in Brussels yesterday and then started a fire in what officials said may have been an attempt to destroy evidence.

Five people were detained near the National Institute of Criminology in Brussels over the fire, which caused an explosion but no casualties, but were released.

When asked whether the attack could be terrorism, prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch said: “We are thinking more of deliberate arson by organised crime. We have no indications that it was terrorism.”