In Norway, a large metal object about two meters long was found by members of Øvre Lågen Båtforening during a riverbank cleanup due to low water levels. The object has a small handle and a large crack in one end, and was initially thought to be a buoy. The object smelled like old porridge when lifted and was considered not dangerous because it had been filled with water for many years.
The police and bomb squad examined the object, and operations leader Tom Richard Skuggedal advised the public to report old explosives or military equipment. The object is now lying safely on land next to the boating association's clubhouse, visible but not posing a risk of falling or causing injury. In Bergen, a suspicious object was found in a pedestrian tunnel at Hopsbukta during the night to Sunday.
Police secured the area and the bomb squad from Oslo arrived at 10:00 to examine the object. The object does not pose a danger to the public as it stands, but special expertise is needed to handle it safely. The incident does not affect traffic on E39, but a nearby bus stop is temporarily closed.
In Drammen, a man in his 50s was arrested with an object that appeared to be real dynamite with a fuse. The man appeared intoxicated and was staggering in the roadway, and he is known to the police. An area in central Drammen was cordoned off until the bomb squad could handle the situation, but there is no danger to the surroundings.
The man is not yet able to be questioned, and police hope further investigation will clarify his intentions. In Lillestrøm, a bag containing a container with explosive content was found in a forest area behind Skedsmo center on Monday, May 4. The bag was found by chance and was moved to Skjetten before the police were notified; the container was rendered harmless there.
The explosive content has been sent to Kripos for analysis, and the case is in its initial phase with no suspects. In Sweden, staff at a preschool in Västerås contacted police after children found a weapon-like object in a nearby forest area. The object was seized by police and will undergo technical examination; a report of a serious weapons offense has been filed with no suspect.
In Solna, a private person brought an object to the police station, which was checked by bomb disposal and found to be a harmless dummy. The reception at the police station was temporarily affected, and there is no suspicion of a crime. In Malmö, an object assessed as dangerous was found on Ribersborg beach; the national bomb squad could not rule out danger from a photo, and the area is cordoned off.
At a workplace in Örebro, staff handled an object and got an unknown powder on themselves; the object and those nearby have been isolated, and the area is cordoned off with other staff evacuated. A call was received about a thermos near a building on Skaraborgsvägen; police have cordoned off the area and asked people in the building to stay inside. A suspected dangerous object was found in Erikslust, and police have taken precautionary measures.
In Gothenburg, police received a tip that led to Brunnsparken where they retrieved a loaded weapon from a canal. The weapon was a loaded revolver or pistol, and the case is linked to an ongoing investigation. According to GP, the reason for the search was an interrupted drug deal where suspects threw the weapon into the water.
There is no indication the weapon was used in any serious crime. At Triangeln in Malmö, police were alerted to a suspected dangerous object outdoors just before 7:20 am on Tuesday. A passer-by saw the suspicious object, which is outdoors near a building at the northern part of Triangeln square, not at the shopping center or train station entrance.
The national bomb squad has been called and extensive cordons are in place. Bus traffic is heavily affected and access from the Scandic hotel and shopping center to the square is blocked. There is no forecast for how long the operation will take.
In another Malmö incident, police cordoned off several streets on Friday after finding a suspected dangerous object. Bomb disposal teams were called in and the national bomb squad arrived on site. Authorities asked residents and patrons of nearby restaurants and shops to remain indoors until the area was fully secured.
The bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion of the suspected object without injuries. Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances and the source of the bomb. In the UK, a man was at the center of a major armed police response while exercising in a park wearing a weighted gym vest.
The incident occurred at Mandley Park in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Friday, March 20. The alarm was raised after reports of a 'suspicious male' at around 11:52 am. People saw the man wearing a vest and carrying what some believed to be wires.
Panic spread online with false claims he was wearing a 'suicide bomb' or 'bomb vest'. Greater Manchester Police confirmed it was a false alarm and the man was wearing a weighted gym vest and carrying a skipping rope. The park is situated in the heart of Salford's Jewish community, around one mile from the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue.
The man involved described being scared when he heard police shouting and was told to lie down, according to the Daily Mirror. An officer said 'shoot him if he moves' or similar. The man moved from Albania to the UK 25 years ago.
He wears the weighted vest everywhere after being advised by his doctor to improve fitness due to diabetes type two and a heart problem, the Daily Mirror reported. Images and videos of the man surrounded by armed officers circulated on social media with misleading captions. In Rushden, a police bomb squad was dispatched following reports of a 'potentially suspicious' item.
A residential area was evacuated on Sunday evening and a 100-metre cordon was put in place. A rest center was set up at Hope Methodist Church for evacuated residents. Specialist officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit assessed the item.
Police were called to the scene shortly before 7pm on March 14. The item was confirmed to be a firework and residents were allowed to return home on March 15. In Plymouth, homes have been evacuated and a cordon is in place on a building site after reports of suspected ordnance.
A 200m cordon is in place at Flamborough Road, Southway. Reports were received at about 14:30 BST. A Royal Navy explosives team is attending to assess the item.
Plymouth City Council said the cordon is a precautionary measure and there is no immediate risk to the wider public. A rest center is available at Southway Youth and Community Centre. In Ireland, bomb disposal experts were called to a road in Dublin after two suspicious devices were discovered in a bag outside a local shop on Ballyfermot Road.
The Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal team responded at approximately 10:10 am. Two devices and other equipment were retrieved and removed for further analysis. The road remains closed.
The discovery comes less than 24 hours after suspect devices were found in Liffey Valley. In Belgium, police were conducting searches at Brussels' Gare du Midi train and metro stations after two mysterious packages were found on separate train platforms. One package was found on platform 20 and another on platform 18 at around 5:20 pm.
Both the metro and train stations were evacuated as a precaution. All trains travelling to and from Brussels Midi were suspended. The army's bomb disposal service, DOVO, was called in to examine the packages.
The incident comes a day after Brussels commemorated 10 years since the 2016 terrorist bombings. In Belgium, the threat level remains 'serious' at three on a four-point scale. Belgium's justice system, police and intelligence services have significantly improved information sharing since the 2016 bombings.
The number of state security service staff has increased from 600 to 950 agents in a decade. A shared database on extremist profiles was created and is constantly updated. In Sweden, a suspected dangerous object was found in a drained pond in Hovdala nature reserve outside Hässleholm.
The area between the northernmost residential areas of Stadsdel Norr, Arenabyn, Litsvägen, Lugnvik industrial area and E14 was a former military shooting range until the 1960s. The area has been open to the public since 2005. Fortifikationsverket has updated the risk assessment and recommended warning signs due to widespread unexploded ordnance found in 2021 investigations.
The 2021 investigations were for a potential new regiment, but Lugnvik was ruled out due to the extent of unexploded ordnance. Dangerous ammunition is located below ground, while surface remnants are like fireworks. If the buried ammunition were on the surface, the area would need to be closed and cleaned.
The area contains small-caliber ammunition, pyrotechnic ammunition, and mortar ammunition. Warning signs are sufficient for Lugnvik, unlike Bynäset where different ammunition required cleanup. Swedish police closed several streets at the scene immediately after the discovery of the dangerous object.
The incident comes amid heightened security vigilance in a number of European cities to counter potential threats related to explosives or criminal activity.