Something is rotten in the nation of Denmark, but nobody seems to know exactly what’s going on.
On Friday afternoon, commuters trying to cross the Öresund Bridge found the busy thoroughfare had been closed — but only in one direction. The bridge connects Denmark and Sweden, but according to The Local traffic outbound from Denmark was being turned around.
“Police also closed a number of other bridge connections in Denmark, including the Great Belt Fixed Link (Storbæltsbroen) between the islands of Funen and Zealand,” The Local reported.
Long distance public transport also appeared to be affected by the closures, with outbound trains from Copenhagen Central Station reportedly being halted.
Danes took to social media to complain of long transit delays across the country, with some speculating that the main island of Zealand appeared cut off from the outside world.
According to the Independent , Danish police stated they were engaged in a manhunt for at least one individual suspected of involvement in a “serious crime.”
No further details were given, except a warning that the suspects may be in a black Volvo V90 car. Police urged anyone to report any sightings of the vehicle, but warned the public to avoid making contact with the suspects. Police said there were “possibly three people onboard.”
After around two hours, authorities began lifting travel restrictions, according to The Washington Post . Throughout the afternoon though, armed police were reportedly seen checking cars and ferries. Denmark’s military also participated in the operation, the Independent reported.
Denmark lockdown update: Reports that police are hunting for a “dangerous person” travelling in a Volvo
https://t.co/ETHowfVx2j pic.twitter.com/5maSQi1kXM
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) September 28, 2018
While officials are yet to elaborate on the operation, one Danish newspaper — Aftonbladet — reported that the manhunt may have been linked to an alleged kidnapping on Zealand. The vehicle at the center of the manhunt was reportedly stolen from Sweden’s Malmo airport in early August.
One former Danish security official said that the shutdown was unprecedented in Denmark.
“I was in the Danish police for 41 years, and I have never seen an operation like this before,” Danish security expert Hans Jørgen stated, according to The Week .
Denmark on lockdown as Copenhagen police close major bridges, ferries, roads and rail links to Sweden and Germany https://t.co/1rSgVRHPtC pic.twitter.com/9QgKRen9Tu
— Mirror Breaking News (@MirrorBreaking_) September 28, 2018
Despite being one of the safest countries in the world, Denmark has experienced a handful of high-profile crimes in recent years.
In 2016, the country was shaken when authorities uncovered a plot by an Islamic State sympathizer to bomb two schools. The plotter — a then-5-year-old girl from Kundby, Denmark — was accused of hoarding bomb-making materials in her home. She was sentenced to six years imprisonment in 2017.
In a separate case in February 2015, a gunman killed two people and injured five others during a shooting spree in Copenhagen. The gunman, Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, was shot by police.