German police find explosives in car; Dutch man arrested

Police in Hünxe, Germany said that explosives were found during the search of a car at a filling station there. The 25-year-old Dutch driver of the Volkswagen Golf, with license plates from the Netherlands, was detained.

“The officers found explosive material that was presumably going to be used to blow up ATMs,” police said in a statement.

The vehicle was first searched at about 11:05 p.m. on Thursday. Once the dangerous items were found, portions of the A3 expressway were shut down in both directions. Officials evacuated the gas station, a rest area, and a neighboring parking lot.

A specialist team neutralized the material, police said. The A3 was ultimately reopened around 3:25 a.m. the next day.

Hünxe is about 35 kilometers from the Dutch border. The town lies 50 kilometers north of Dusseldorf.

The criminal investigation into the case is ongoing, police said.

In the Netherlands, a large number of cash machines have been shut down during overnight hours to help prevent robbery attempts involving explosives. There have been four such ATM bombings since the policy was implemented.