The police cordoned off part of Central Station for hours this evening. A suspicious package was found there around 7 p.m. The Defense Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (EOD) examined the package. It turned out not to be an explosive, but a 37-year-old man was arrested.
Several platforms and tracks were cordoned off as a precaution. An agent from the Explosives and Safety Team (TEV) was present and, after examining the package, requested the arrival of the EOD. The EOD came from a barracks in Soesterberg or Den Helder, so it took a while before the bus with the three military explosives experts arrived on site. The soldiers arrived around 8:40 PM and then investigated.
“A suspect was arrested on a train in Zandvoort shortly after the report,” the police said. “It concerns a 37-year-old man from Schiedam. The man is in custody and his role is being investigated.” A police spokesperson says that investigators still want to find out exactly what kind of package it is and what the man’s motive was. DThe police Forensic Investigation carried out a trace investigation and took the package away after it turned out that it could not explode.
A spokesperson for the NS said that track 1, track 2, track 3, track 4 and track 5 were closed. “This has no impact on train traffic, because trains arrive on other tracks or depart from other tracks. We therefore advise travelers to check the journey planner before their journey,” she said earlier in the evening. The tracks have now been released.
According to bystanders, the package was placed on a platform above the Cuyperspassage, the bicycle and pedestrian tunnel the Stationsplein of that connects the northern side of the IJ. The tunnel itself was also closed by the police, but has now been released.
Suspicious packages are often found at Central Station, but they usually involve accidentally left suitcases. This time, according to bystanders, it was clearly not a suitcase.