FlixBus with weapons on board intercepted on Belgian highway

©picture alliance / SvenSimon | Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON

On Saturday, just before noon, police stopped a Flixbus out of traffic on the E40 towards Ostend near Jabbeke after one of the drivers saw and heard suspicious and disturbing things on his bus.

The driver of the Flixbus did not hesitate to call the police. He then parked the bus on the breakdown lane, after which a large police force swooped in on the bus.

The bus stopped on the breakdown lane near Snellegem, some 700 meters before the highway parking lot in Jabbeke. There, officers quickly managed to identify and neutralize the threat. No one was injured.

Federal highway police along with local police raided the Flixbus. "They had all the occupants get off, after which they were all searched," federal police spokeswoman An Berger told HLN. "The bus was entirely searched and firearms were found." An explosives dog also arrived at the scene to sweep the bus, but it yielded nothing.

For now, it's not clear who brought the weapons on board. According to Jabbeke Mayor Frank Casteleyn , the fire department also came to the scene to provide bus passengers with water who were traveling under hot weather conditions. Settling the case could take some time. The investigation must now further reveal who brought the weapons on board and what their plans were. No further details were released for now. More information on the case is expected to be given at a press conference further into the weekend when it will become clear how serious the threat effectively was.

©picture alliance / SvenSimon | Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON - illustration image of a Flixbus on the highway. This is not the bus in question that was intercepted.