Schiphol traveler arrested after telling police he was carrying dangerous substances
Update, 2:50 p.m. on 29 November 2022: Information about the arrest was added to the article. An earlier update noted that the specialist team from the Dutch military arrived at Schiphol and was preparing to examine the man and his belongings.
Emergency services cordoned off part of Schiphol Plaza on Tuesday after a man told security officers that he had dangerous substances on his person, the Koninklijke Marechaussee said on Twitter at around 11:30 a.m. He was later identified as a 55-year-old man who was later brought to a decontamination area. A team specialized in examining unusual substances was dispatched to the scene and arrived at about 1 p.m.
The suspect was taken into custody for making an unspecified threat, the Marechaussee said about three hours after the incident began. It was not until after 4:45 p.m. that the entire Schiphol Plaza area was reopened.
It started when the man, who recently traveled to the airport, visited the Marechaussee office in Schiphol Plaza to say he was carrying something dangerous with him. Emergency services received the first report of a suspicious situation at 11:11 a.m. They quickly escalated the alarm to a GRIP1, which means that all the emergency services respond together and work under a single commanding officer. Even though the plaza was reopened, the office of the Marechaussee in the area was still cordoned off at about 5 p.m.
According to the Telegraaf, the specialist team sent to the airport consists of military employees from the CBRN center for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. The CBRN center is based in Vught, about 100 kilometers south of the airport. "We’re playing it safe," a Marechaussee spokesperson told the newspaper.
A Schiphol spokesperson told NL Times that “a portion of Schiphol Plaza has been cordoned off” due to a suspicious situation being handled by the Marechaussee. He added that all passenger operations, like checking in for flights and clearing security checkpoints, were expected to continue without disruption. A spokesperson for the Marechaussee told NOS that they restricted access to area from the Christmas tree to the Burger King in the Schiphol Plaza.
The authorities’ response is contained to the Plaza area, so it may impact access to some train tracks as it is part of the railway station, the Schiphol spokesperson said. National railway NS also confirmed that fewer trains will operate to and from the airport, at least until the situation involving first responders is resolved.
The Koninklijke Marechaussee is a policing force that works as a branch of the Dutch Military and is responsible for border security, including at airports.
