In an ongoing dramatic case, a third man has been confirmed as having been arrested on suspicion of stalking following the discovery of a tracking device underneath a car in Norwich.
Norfolk Police said a man in his 50s was arrested on 19 December and later questioned before being released on bail. Two other men, one in his 30s and another in his 50s, have also been arrested in connection with the investigation and are bailed until 10 March.
The arrests follow an incident in September last year when part of Norwich city centre was cordoned off after a suspicious object was reported underneath a vehicle on Bank Plain. Emergency services were called to the scene at about 15:30 BST, with people evacuated from nearby buildings and roads closed as a precaution.
An Army bomb disposal team was deployed and two loud bangs were heard later that evening as the device was made safe. The road remained closed until the early hours of the following day.
Police later confirmed the object was not explosive and posed no wider risk to the public. It was subsequently identified as a tracking device and the incident became the focus of a stalking investigation.
The vehicle belonged to Norwich businessman Besnik Ademaj, who said the discovery left him shaken. He said he became aware of the device while returning to his car after a meeting.
“I was in a business meeting with an ex-colleague of mine and as I was approaching the car a lady said ‘you have had something put under your car’,” he said.
Mr Ademaj initially thought the object was debris before realising the seriousness of the situation. He said: “I was scared and shocked and I did not know how to act.
“I do not feel safe anymore. It feels life-threatening for me.”
Norfolk Police said officers were assisted at the scene by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and confirmed no-one was injured during the incident. All roads were later reopened and inquiries have continued since.
A police spokeswoman previously said: “Inquiries have since established that the device was not dangerous and there is no wider risk to the public.
“It is believed to have been a tracking device and this is now being investigated as a stalking offence.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
