Homem encontrado com cinturão explosivo falso causa pânico em Bruxelas

BRUXELAS (Reuters) - Um homem que disse estar vestindo um cinturão explosivo preparado para detonar por controle remoto causou pânico em um bairro comercial de Bruxelas nesta terça-feira antes da polícia descobrir que o dispositivo só continha sal e biscoitos, informaram autoridades.

A capital belga, que tem cerca de 1,2 milhão de habitantes, continua tensa e em estado de alerta três meses depois que três militantes do Estado Islâmico se explodiram no aeroporto de Bruxelas e em um trem do metrô, matando 32 pessoas.

Nesta terça-feira, a polícia de Bruxelas deteve um homem perto do movimentado shopping City2 depois que ele anunciou ter explosivos presos ao corpo que seriam acionados remotamente. A área foi isolada enquanto especialistas em bombas verificavam o cinturão.

Man found with fake explosive belt causes panic in Brussels

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A man who said he was wearing an explosive belt prepared to detonate by remote control caused panic in a shopping district in Brussels on Tuesday before the police find that the device contained only salt and biscuits, officials said.

The Belgian capital, which has about 1.2 million inhabitants, remains tense and alert status three months after three militants of the Islamic State blew themselves up at Brussels airport and a subway train, killing 32 people.

On Tuesday, the Brussels police arrested a man near the busy shopping City2 after he announced he had explosives strapped to the body that would be triggered remotely. The area was cordoned off while bomb experts checked the belt.

The man himself, born in 1990 and identified as J.B., had called the police to say he was kidnapped and forced to wear an explosive belt, which proved to be a false alarm.

"J.B. is known to the police, also because of mental problems," said the spokesman for the Brussels prosecutor's office.

The man remains in police custody, but must be released within 24 hours unless a judge adopts a prosecutor's request to arrest him formally and make it be examined by a psychiatrist.