BRUSSELS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A man was arrested on Thursday in the Belgian city of Antwerp after attempting to drive at high speed into the Meir shopping street, police said.
The suspect was Mohamed R. of French nationality, born on May 8, 1977 and living in France. Different weapons were discovered in the trunk of the car, including a riot gun and a can whose contents were still unclear, said the prosecutor's office.
Meir is Antwerp's main pedestrian shopping street. Members of the armed forces noticed what was happening and tried to prevent it. The driver jumped a red light and headed for the dock.
The Antwerp police rapid response team later managed to intercept the vehicle, a red Citroen with a French license plate.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said on social media: "We remain vigilant. Our security services did excellent work. The Belgian government is closely following the situation."
No one was injured in the incident. The intercepted vehicle was removed in the afternoon and taken for inspection. The safety perimeter was then lifted. Security was strengthened in the city of Antwerp where a large number of police and military personnel were immediately deployed.
Given the initial information gathered and taking into account what happened Wednesday in London, it was decided to entrust the file to the federal prosecutor's office.
