Police asking for witnesses Bonn Christmas market evacuated
Bonn · On Friday evening, Bonn police closed off part of the Christmas market for several hours. Witnesses had reported a suspicious person.
Police evacuated parts of the Bonn Christmas market at around 10pm on Friday evening and closed them off for several hours. Around 8.50pm, two witnesses spoke to Christmas market security guards and told them that a few minutes earlier they had observed a person in the Münsterplatz area who appeared suspicious.
The person had put several small packages into the two post boxes in front of the post office, which had already closed. The person had worn disposable gloves and was hooded.
Police officers therefore closed the area around the Münsterplatz. Due to the overriding circumstances, special officers from the LKA NRW were notified, who then retrieved the suspicious postal packages using a special robot. According to the current status of the investigations, narcotics have been seized together with the packages.
The “Analytical Task Force” (ATF) from the Cologne fire brigade, who had also been alerted, then examined the substance found in the five smaller packages. The unit specialises in chemical analysis. Visitors were asked to leave the Christmas market. The barriers were lifted again around 2.50am.
According to police, the around 1.85 metre tall suspect had a powerful build. The man was wearing dark blue jeans, a black hooded top and brown leather shoes. Anyone with information should call police on 0228-150.
Evakuierung des Weihnachtsmarktes
Original text: Alf Kaufmann and Axel Vogel. Translated by Kate Carey.
