Brussels – A man claiming to have been kidnapped and outfitted with a bomb belt shut down a section of central Brussels during the Tuesday morning rush hour but a bomb squad found only salt and cookies in the belt, the Brussels prosecutor’s office said.
The man, identified only as J.B., was taken in for questioning. Prosecutors said he had a criminal record and a history of psychiatric problems.
Brussels prosecutor Rym Kechiche said authorities were investigating whether the incident around the City 2 shopping mall had links to terrorism or whether it was a hoax.
A second man, who is suspected of driving J.B. to the scene, was also being questioned.
