A man was taken into custody in Sydney’s Martin Place on Friday as police locked down the area for a short time.
Police said a non-terror related operation was underway and advised the public to avoid the area, causing difficulties for evening commuters.
The area was later declared safe after a search.
The arrest was made close to the Lindt cafe, scene of a 16-hour siege in December 2014, in which two hostages and the hostage-taker were killed.
Phillip St, around the corner from the cafe also went into lockdown.
Buildings were evacuated, including the New South Wales premier’s office. Officers in white suits checked a Thrifty hire car.
A police op is underway in Phillip St, btwn Hunter St & Martin Pl in #Sydney. One man taken into custody. Not believed to be terror-related.
— NSW Police (@nswpolice) May 15, 2015
Police operation concludes - #Sydney. All roads in the area are being re-opened. http://t.co/JIFIXP4kHX
— NSW Police (@nswpolice) May 15, 2015
In a statement, NSW police said a man was taken to Day Street police station. “Following a search by specialist police, the area has been declared safe,” the statement said.
According to one eyewitness account, which has not been verified, a man was pulled out of a car and handcuffed. He was described as tall and bearded, aged 25 to 35.
