Germany’s Hannover Airport has been shut down by German police, who were sweeping security areas after a man rammed through a gate in a vehicle and drove on the tarmac, before being stopped and detained there.
“A man broke through a gate and drove to the tarmac. Police officers managed to stop the vehicle and overpower the man,” Hannover police wrote on their Twitter page.
They later tweeted that the security areas have been cleared, and all flight operations have been suspended at the airport while the incident is being investigated.
The detained suspect’s car was registered in Poland, the German NDR broadcaster reported.
The driver could have been on drugs as the incident unfolded, NDR said, adding that the quick on-site drug test was “positive.” Police sources said a terrorist motive could be “basically ruled out.”
The lockdown will reportedly last till at least 9pm local time, meaning that the ninth busiest airport in Germany will be out of operation for over five hours.
