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Terrorism

London police arrest teen over item on subway

October 21, 2016

British counterterrorism police detained a 19-year-old man after authorities found a suspicious package on a train near Canary Wharf. Security forces are deploying more units to ensure safety around London train stops.

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London Greenwich Terrorverdächtiger festgenommen Tube U-Bahn Fund
Image: picture-alliance/empics

The unidentified man was tasered and arrested on terror charges in north London on Friday, the police said in a statement, adding that they were not looking for any other suspects "at this stage." The arrest was linked with a discovery of a suspicious item on an underground train on the previous day.

"Officers are keeping an open mind regarding any possible motive," according to the statement.

The Thursday incident prompted authorities to evacuate a Greenwich train station and stop the traffic on the city's Jubilee underground line for four hours. London public transport was operating normally on Friday, officials said.

Police to 'reassure the public'

Authorities detonated the package in a controlled explosion but it was still "being forensically examined," according to the statement. London police also called on the public to report any possible leads.

"High visibility patrols by BTP [British Transport Police] officers on the underground and at stations will remain in place today to reassure the traveling public as they start their weekend," the statement said. "Anyone with any concerns should speak with officers who will be happy to help."

London was hit by a terror attack targeting the tube system and city buses which  claimed 52 lives in 2005. The UK's MI5 intelligence service currently defines the terror threat level as "severe," its second-highest rung, meaning that authorities believe a terror attack to be "highly likely."

dj/msh (dpa, AFP, Reuters)