Man Carrying Two Guns and a ‘Guide to The Koran’ Hidden in a Bag is Arrested at Disneyland Paris as Police Hunt a ‘Woman Accomplice’
- Police arrested a man at the entrance to a hotel at Disneyland Paris
- He was carrying two handguns in a bag and a 'guide to the Koran
- Offered no resistance when police detained him at the amusement park
- Officers are hunting his female companion who is believed to be on the run
Daily Mail UK, 29 January 2016
A man has been arrested at Disneyland Paris carrying two handguns, ammunition, and a 'guide to the Koran', but police are still hunting his female companion.
Bomb disposal experts surrounded a car after weapons were detected when the luggage was put through an X-ray machine at the entrance to a hotel, 20 miles east of the French capital.
The 28-year-old man,
who was not known to security services, was stopped by Disney staff who found the weapons - two semi-automatic handguns and a knife - hidden in his suitcase at about midday.
The couple's car was immediately surrounded by bomb disposal experts, and Hotel New York's car park was shut
down
Quote:
DISNEYLAND RESORT PARIS
Officially opened in 1992 under the name Euro Disney, the park quickly began to attract millions of visitors from around the world.
In 1994 it officially became Disneyland Resort Paris and the following year its famed rollercoaster Space Mountain was opened.
On top of the attractions, the park's income is bolstered by 64 shops, 67 restaurants and seven hotels.
The theme park covers nearly 5,000 acres and is directly served by the Eurostar.
Its blend of fantasy and thrill-seeking requires more than 55,000 staff, with almost 15,000 employed on-site alone, its figures say.
It has seen its number of visitors drop considerably in recent years. In 2014, more than a million fewer people were visiting than in 2012, their annual reports showed.
After France, most visitors to the park come from the UK, making up 14 per cent of their guests in 2013.
|
A judicial police source said: 'Following questioning, the man made it clear that he had the guns with him for personal protection. The enquiry is ongoing, but it is not a terrorist enquiry.'
Police would not initially name the two suspects, but they said the man was a French national born in the Paris suburb of Lagny, and currently living in the 14th arrondissement of the city. Both the man and the woman are Muslims but of 'European appearance,' said the police source.
Francois Banon, a spokesman for Disneyland Paris, said: 'During a routine security screening checkpoint at one of our hotels, weapons were discovered in a guest's luggage through our X-ray machine.
'The police were immediately notified and the individual was arrested. We continue to work closely with the authorities, and the safety and security of our guests and cast members is our utmost priority.'
'Police were called as soon as the guns were found,' said a hotel source. 'The man did not put up any resistance, but his companion disappeared. The police are still looking for her.'
There are several hotels around Disneyland Paris, which is east of the French capital and is among Europe's most-visited tourist destinations with some 10 million visitors in 2014, according to that year's Global Attractions.
Jean-Luc Marx, Prefect of the Seine-et-Marne district in which Disneyland is situated, said: 'I want to underline that the Disney security services and police reacted immediately, and made sure the man was taken out of harm's way, if indeed he ever intended to harm anyone.
'We don't know at this stage.'
A judicial enquiry has been opened, led by a examining magistrate assisted by police from nearby Meaux, said Mr Marx.
Later in the afternoon, the couple's black car could be seen being towed away on the back of a lorry.
The incident comes just months after Islamist terrorists went on the rampage in Paris killing 130 people.
France remained in a state of emergency since the attacks on November 13, which targeted the Stade de France, packed cafes and bars and the Bataclan music hall.
In January 2015, three days of terror gripped Paris as a series of attacks left 17 people dead, including a massacre at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
France imposed a three-month state of emergency after the November attacks, which President Francois Hollande hopes to extend for another three months, despite fierce opposition from rights activists.
Nobody was hurt during the arrest on Thursday. The park remains open and employees at several hotels around the resort said they continued working as normal after the arrest.
Officers are still hunting for the man's female companion. It was believed she may have already been detained
A judicial police source said: 'Following questioning, the man made it clear that he had the guns with him for personal protection. The enquiry is ongoing, but it is not a terrorist enquiry.'
Police would not initially name the two suspects, but they said the man was a French national born in the Paris suburb of Lagny, and currently living in the 14th arrondissement of the city. Both the man and the woman are of 'European appearance,' said the police source.
Francois Banon, a spokesman for Disneyland Paris, said: 'During a routine security screening checkpoint at one of our hotels, weapons were discovered in a guest's luggage through our X-ray machine.
'The police were immediately notified and the individual was arrested. We continue to work closely with the authorities, and the safety and security of our guests and cast members is our utmost priority.'
'Police were called as soon as the guns were found,' said a hotel source. 'The man did not put up any resistance, but his companion disappeared. The police are still looking for her.'
There are several hotels around Disneyland Paris, which is east of the French capital and is among Europe's most-visited tourist destinations with some 10 million visitors in 2014, according to that year's Global Attractions.
Jean-Luc Marx, Prefect of the Seine-et-Marne district in which Disneyland is situated, said: 'I want to underline that the Disney security services and police reacted immediately, and made sure the man was taken out of harm's way, if indeed he ever intended to harm anyone.
'We don't know at this stage.'
A man carrying two handguns and a 'guide to the Koran' has been arrested at Disneyland Paris (file picture)
A judicial enquiry has been opened, led by a examining magistrate assisted by police from nearby Meaux, said Mr Marx.
Later in the afternoon, the couple's black car could be seen being towed away on the back of a lorry.
The incident comes just months after Islamist terrorists went on the rampage in Paris killing 130 people.
France remained in a state of emergency since the attacks on November 13, which targeted the Stade de France, packed cafes and bars and the Bataclan music hall.
In January 2015, three days of terror gripped Paris as a series of attacks left 17 people dead, including a massacre at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
France imposed a three-month state of emergency after the November attacks, which President Francois Hollande hopes to extend for another three months, despite fierce opposition from rights activists.
Nobody was hurt during the arrest on Thursday. The park remains open and employees at several hotels around the resort said they continued working as normal after the arrest.