Suspicious device found at a Toronto airport has been disarmed and 2 people are in custody, authorities say.
The arrest comes as law enforcement agencies in North America and Europe investigate the possibility of coronavirus transmission within their borders.
Toronto police say two men who they believe carried out the attempted intrusion at Ontario International Airport are in custody.
The men are believed to be in their 20s and live in Toronto.
The suspects were carrying an item resembling a camera, according to police.
“We’ve located what is believed to be what they intended to carry, but we are still investigating,” Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray told media outlets.
The police are reviewing video surveillance images and have not yet determined the “substance” that was located on the suspects, she added.
The device was found on Monday morning at a private business in the area of the airport, after the pair were spotted at around 10:30 a.m., walking past a Toronto police officer standing near the building.
Police say two men were arrested after police discovered the device and arrested two other men who were in a vehicle parked nearby.
“At this time, it doesn’t appear there are any other people in the area that the two (arrests) were performed at and there are no customers (at this time),” Gray said, adding that the device found “is not currently in our possession.”
The device appeared to be a camera, but authorities would have to determine whether it was used for surveillance, a violation of Ontario law, Gray said.
It is illegal to possess a device that can record or capture audio or video in Ontario.
“It doesn’t seem likely that our investigators would have located the device on the second individual (who was located near the building),” Gray said.
“However, there could be another person who is using this device.”
Toronto police say the devices were disarmed within the hour upon their arrival, which resulted in the arrest.
“The individual (found in the vehicle) has also been arrested for possession of a prohibited object, which is a small amount of cannabis,” Gray said.
“Our investigators have spoken with the individual