One man was taken into custody and a section of Montreal was evacuated after a suspicious item was discovered during a security screening at the city's airport on Sunday, authorities said.
Montreal police reported that officers investigated houses in the Lasalle section of the city in connection with the suspicious item and had evacuated the area to ensure the safety of residents. After the suspect's house was secured, other residents were allowed to return, police said.
No explosives were found, but objects in the bag had been "put together to look like a bomb," police Commander Ian Lafreniere said.
The item was observed by security officers in a passenger's carry-on bag at about 5 a.m. on Sunday, Mathieu Larocque, spokesperson for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, told NBC News.
Montreal police were notified and took over the investigation.
“When we see something like a weapon or explosive device, we call police,” Larocque said.
A man in his 70s was taken into custody at the airport, Lafreniere said, adding that the man, whom he did not identify, has a criminal background and is well-known by police.
A security checkpoint for departures to the United States was shut down for about three hours after the suspicious item was found, said Stephanie Lepage, a spokeswoman for Montreal Trudeau Airport.
The suspicious bag was due to be taken onto a U.S.-bound flight, CTV News reported.
The incident delayed 16 flights, according to the television station.
