Pretoria - Brooklyn police on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of a man who threatened to bomb a Pretoria shopping centre unless a ransom was paid.
According to reports, the man threatened to bomb Menlyn Maine shopping centre unless a R10 million ransom was paid to him.
This resulted in the evacuation of the centre.
Brooklyn police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach explained that the incident occurred on Tuesday morning at around 11:15.
"An unknown man in his fifties entered a bank at the centre. He handed a note over to the bank teller who assisted him.
"The note contained a threat to say that there is a bomb planted inside the bank. The security immediately reacted and evacuated the whole shopping centre. The SAPS responded and arrested the man inside the bank."
SAPS' bomb disposal and K9 units were then called out and are still on the scene to inspect the device that was found. Police also confiscated a firearm from the man.
The shopping centre has not been declared safe yet.
Police confirmed that the man would be charged with contravention of the Explosive Act No 26 of 1956 for making a false threat.
"He will appear in the Hatfield Community Court soon," she said.
IOL