Man who caused bomb alert was student measuring radiation

A man who was stopped by police in central Brussels on Wednesday wearing a winter coat with long wires protruding from it is a doctoral student at the University of Ghent who was measuring wifi radiation.

The man was reported by a security guard, who had received reports from members of the public about the man’s appearance. Police attended and stopped the man at gunpoint. Police say he reacted strangely and refused to explain his behaviour.

According to the university, the man, from Iran, speaks neither French nor Dutch and was unable to understand what was being asked of him. Suspecting explosives, police called in a special intervention squad, as well as the army’s bomb disposal unit, Dovo. In the meantime, a perimeter was established in Rue de l'Ecuyer and Rue de la Fourhce near Place de la Monnaie. Traffic was diverted and pedestrians kept at a distance.

A Dovo robot determined the presence of metal plates and other material that could suggest the presence of explosives. Only when it became clear who he was and what he was doing was the alert ended. The man was taken by police for questioning and later released.

The university explained the man was using a prototype instrument to measure wifi radiation. “There are batteries and cables, which these days can be seen as suspicious,” a spokesperson said. The man will not be sanctioned. “This is an unfortunate incident for everyone involved, and we will draw the proper conclusions from it,” she said.

Photo courtesy VRT