A man with two firearms inside his luggage was arrested on Thursday as he was trying to enter a Disneyland hotel in Paris, France. According to local law enforcers, it is not yet clear what the apprehended individual's motives are or if he is connected to any extremist groups.
According to CNN, the 28-year-old man, who was not named by authorities, was on his way to check in at the Hotel New York, a Disney-owned hotel just outside the amusement park. But, during a routine screening at the hotel's checkpoint, security guards operating the facility's X-ray machine saw that the man's luggage contained two guns and a box of ammunition. He also had a copy of the Quran inside his bag.
Upon seeing the firearms, the guards immediately notified the police regarding the situation. The man was immediately arrested but maintained that he only carried the guns with him for his own protection. Further investigation on the individual also revealed that he is a Paris resident.
According to authorities, they are still on the lookout for the man's female companion who is believed to be his girlfriend. Immediately after his arrest, police officers detained a woman but freed her eventually after discovering that she is not the person they are looking for, BBC has learned.
Over a dozen police officers responded to the scene after the call was made by the hotel. However, despite the incident, the operations of the Hotel New York and the Disneyland amusement park still carried on normally.
Paris and France in general are still on high alert following what happened in November last year when seven assailants, who are believed to be supporters of ISIS, carried out a series of attacks in different parts of the country. The incident, which consisted of mass shootings and suicide bombings, resulted in the deaths of about 130 individuals, according to The Star.
