Car with possible explosives found in Gelderland town; link with ATM bombing investigated

A car containing items with a potential explosion hazard was found in Didam, Gelderland on Thursday. The police believe the Audi may have been involved in an ATM bombing in Germany earlier in the morning, a police spokesperson said to De Gelderlander.

The ATM bombing happened in the Duisburg area early on Thursday morning. Afterwards, there was a police chase on the A18. During the chase, the Audi hit a police vehicle, before escaping police pursuit.

At around 9:30 a.m., local residents discovered the damaged car and alerted the police. The car was parked on a square on Pontilaan.

Responding officers quickly cordoned off the area, evacuating around 12 homes due to possible explosive danger. Explosive experts were called in, and they stabilized the items in the car to such an extent that the vehicle could be towed away for further investigation. 

The cordoned off area was released later in the afternoon.

The police are investigating to identify exactly what was in the car and how it came to be in Didam. Investigators call on witnesses to come forward.