Man detained on French high-speed TGV after attack threat

By Marine Strauss and Alain Acco

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A man was arrested after threatening to commit an attack while travelling on a high-speed TGV train in eastern France on Friday.

Police sources said the individual threatened to blow up himself or the train. There was no immediate suspicion that terrorism was a motive and the individual’s mental health was being investigated, they added.

“This morning, a police officer … arrested a threatening individual on board a TGV in Moselle. Kudos to him!” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter.

The officer was off duty at the time, the police sources said. Off-duty policeman are allowed in France to carry a firearm on trains as part of a “travelling to protect” government scheme.

(Reporting by Marine Strauss, Alain Acco; editing by Richard Lough)