Latest news Toy weapon on bridge over the Rhine border triggers police operation

On Wednesday evening, three people walked across the wooden bridge over the Rhine from Stein AG to Bad Säckingen (Germany) with an openly carried softair machine gun. They triggered a large contingent of emergency services from Germany and Switzerland.

The police headquarters in Freiburg im Breisgau announced on Thursday that the search measures initiated following the alarm at 9.15 p.m. had initially failed to apprehend the wanted persons.

During further investigations, two of the wanted persons were found in the Bad Säckingen area at around midnight. An 18-year-old man was carrying the soft air weapon.

The deceptively real-looking toy weapon was confiscated, the police headquarters reported further. A baton he was carrying was also seized. Investigation proceedings have been initiated against the man for the prohibited "carrying of a semblance of a weapon".

The Aargau cantonal police, the German federal police and the state police were involved in the operation with large forces, it said.

SDA