Mossos d’Esquadra officers yesterday cordoned off an area of Barcelona and called in the bomb squad after a suspicious package was found on a bus.
The suspicious item, PVC tubing sealed with duct tape, was found by the driver of a bus on the route between plaza Urquinaona and plaza Cataluña during a routine check. The device was wedged between the seats.
The driver notified the police and the surrounding area was cordoned off as a basic security measure. Bomb disposal experts were called in to examine the device.
It was later confirmed that the device was not a real explosive device but a simulation. Police are now trying to determine whether this was just an attempt to cause alarm and panic as no warning call had been received, as is normally the case.