An engineer checks the base of a 5G mast erected by telecom operator 'Proximus' that was set on fire, in Peltheide, Limburg province on the eve of April 19, 2020.
Yorick Jansens/Belga/AFP via Getty Images
US law enforcement officials have expressed their concerns about a possible rise in violence caused by conspiracy theories that claim 5G cellular network is linked to the spread of COVID-19.
In an intelligence report obtained by ABC News, the US Department of Homeland security said that the threats "probably will increase as the disease continues to spread" and warned that there could also be "violence against telecommunications workers."
A joint intelligence bulletin also concluded that there have been several attacks on 5G cell towers in some US states already, including Tennessee and Oregon.
The 5G conspiracy theory, which claims that the rollout of faster 5G internet is either causing or accelerating the spread of the coronavirus, has picked up steam during the coronavirus pandemic.
The conspiracy theory began to gain traction in the UK in late March and early April. It has since seen more than 70 arson attacks on phone masts around the country.
US law enforcement officials are concerned that the conspiracy theories linking the spread of COVID-19 to the expansion of the 5G cellular network could result in arson and even physical violence against telecom workers.
The unfounded theory has apparently made its way from the UK, which has seen more than 70 arson attacks on phone masts.
An intelligence report obtained by ABC News from the US Department of Homeland security said: "We assess conspiracy theories linking the spread of COVID-19 to the expansion of the 5G cellular network are inciting attacks against the communications infrastructure globally and that these threats probably will increase as the disease continues to spread, including calls for violence against telecommunications workers."
"Violent extremists have drawn from misinformation campaigns online that claim wireless infrastructure is deleterious to human health and helps spread COVID-19, resulting in a global effort by like-minded individuals to share operational guidance and justification for conducting attacks against 5G infrastructure, some of which have already prompted arson and physical attacks against cell towers in several US states," it continued.
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