On the night of 3 September, there was a break-in at the Øverbygd waterworks in Målselv. The water samples that were taken after the break-in showed changes beyond normal deviations. The matter is under investigation, and national resources such as the Defense Research Institute’s preparedness laboratory have been connected. Ole Johan Skogmo, police inspector and head of Midt-Trom’s police station district, describes the break-in as serious. – All intrusions into critical infrastructure are considered serious. Burglary in a waterworks can potentially affect a great many people, says Skogmo. The waterworks supplies all of Øverbygd with water, including the military camp at Skjold. The police have not yet found out why someone saw the need to break in. – We are investigating all possibilities, says the police inspector. Ole Johan Skogmo, police inspector and head of Midt-Trom’s police station district, sees the break-in as serious. Photo: Rune N. Andreassen / news Several municipalities take action The Troms municipalities Nordreisa, Salangen and Bardu all report that they have implemented special measures at their waterworks as a result of the break-in in Målselv. On Friday, news reported that the National Security Authority (NSM) has revealed plans to shut down parts of the power grid in Norway. Earlier in October, it was also known that a man in Vestland has been charged with sabotage against a transformer station. Recently, there have been a number of drone observations both on the mainland and at Norwegian oil and gas facilities at sea. The police security service (PST) says the purpose behind the drone activity may be sabotage, and that it may be to spread fear and uncertainty. Alertness in the country has been raised, and it has been said that critical infrastructure is something Russia may be interested in sabotaging. The risk of such incidents is monitored by the Norwegian Armed Forces. Photo: Rune Fredriksen / news Disagree about mob streak theory Mayor of Målselv, Bengt Magne Luneng, does not think the break-in is cause for concern. – I think this is a form of mob action, he says. He believes that there is no indication that anything has been done with the water, although a change in pH value was detected after the break-in. Police inspector Skogmo points out that the circumstances surrounding the break-in may indicate that the intention behind it was something other than mob action. Among other things, that it happened in the middle of the night. – The object’s location and value is not a typical target for a mob hit, says the police inspector. The police have so far not charged anyone in the case. The police do not see the waterworks as a typical target for a mob hit. Photo: Rune N. Andreassen / news Increased safety It is the municipality’s responsibility to ensure that the safety around the waterworks is good enough. Mayor Luneng in Målselv says that they have also increased security at the waterworks after the break-in. – We have taken several measures at all the water works in Målselv, but I do not want to go into what the concrete measures are, says Luneng.
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Burglary in the water works in Målselv in Troms – changes in the water have been detected – news Troms and Finnmark
