A 41-year-old Frenchman was arrested at Gatwick Airport Saturday with what appeared to be a firearm, British police said after a security alert triggered an evacuation of the busy London hub.
"Police were called following suspicious actions by a man who discarded an item in a bin at the airport," Sussex Police said in a statement, according to AFP.
"A 41-year-old man from Vendome in France was arrested at the scene at the time of the report on suspicion of firearms offences," the statement said. "Personal items and what appears to be a firearm were recovered and have been removed for forensic examination. However, the viability of the weapon has yet to be established," it added.