Man Arrested Outside Swiss Parliament After Suspicious Activity

A police robot stands next to a suspicious car in front of the Swiss Parliament, the Bundeshaus in Bern, during the large-scale operation of the Bern police, where several buildings were evacuated and the Bundesplatz and some streets around were widely cordoned off, on Feb. 14, 2023. Manuel Lopez/Keystone via AP

Police in Switzerland arrested a man outside the country’s parliament and found traces of explosives on him, in an incident that shut down the capital for several hours.

The man, who has not been named, was stopped by police in the capital Bern in the afternoon because of his suspicious appearance and behavior.

The 27-year-old from the canton of Valais was wearing a bulletproof vest and a gun holster. Police declined to comment on a possible motive.

Police vehicles are parked in front of the Swiss Parliament, the Bundeshaus, during a large-scale operation of the Bern police, where several buildings were evacuated and the Bundesplatz and some streets around were widely cordoned off, in Bern, Switzerland, on Feb. 14, 2023. Manuel Lopez/Keystone via AP

A rapid test found traces of explosives on the man, but no details were given regarding where they were found and what type of explosives they were.

A car linked to the man was parked in proximity to the Bundesplatz (the Parliament Square) and was under investigation for several hours using a robot and a drone.

“Based on the knowledge already available at that time, it could not be ruled out that there were explosives in the car on the Bundesplatz and that the vehicle posed a specific risk,” Bern Police said.

“As a result, extensive security measures were implemented immediately,” they added.

The Bundesplatz and surrounding streets were sealed off, while nearby buildings including the parliament building were evacuated.

An explosives expert walks in front of the Swiss Parliament, the Bundeshaus, during the large-scale operation of the Bern police, where several buildings were evacuated and the Bundesplatz and some streets around were widely cordoned off, in Bern, Switzerland, on Feb. 14, 2023. Manuel Lopez/Keystone via AP

A police robot stands next to a suspicious car in front of the Swiss Parliament, the Bundeshaus in Bern, during the large-scale operation of the Bern police, where several buildings were evacuated and the Bundesplatz and some streets around were widely cordoned off, on Feb. 14, 2023. Manuel Lopez/Keystone via AP

Eventually, the car was found to pose no danger, Bern police said. The emergency measures were lifted at around 7:00 p.m., about five hours after being called to the scene.

The man is currently in custody with medical investigations into his physical and mental condition underway.

A criminal investigation has been launched by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General, together with police in Bern, Valais, and the Swiss Federal Police.

Switzerland has rarely had any incidences of extremist violence, but the federal police have regularly warned of the threat.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.