Thalys intruder in Rotterdam no longer criminal suspect

The man who entrenched a Thalys train last Friday is no longer suspect of a severe criminal offense and was released from his police custody on Monday.

According to a statement by the national public prosecutor, the young man had no identification with him and turned out to be known under different identities in nine European countries. He is probably a Tunisian who had a nomadic existence for a few years in Western European countries.

He was handed over to the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Last Friday morning on Rotterdam Central Station the man jumped on the high speed train on its way from Amsterdam to Paris just before departure and locked himself up in the toilet. He didn't respond to calls by the train staff and the police to come out of the toilet.

With the shooting and stabbing incident that took place on Aug., 2015 aboard a Thalys train in France in mind, Dutch authorities took no risk and out of precaution all passengers were evacuated and most of Rotterdam Central Station was cleared.

The suspect was arrested and because he was hyperventilating taken away in an ambulance, accompanied by police officers. He was held and heard at the police station in the following days.

Further research, including an investigation by the Dutch Defense Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (DEODS), responsible for detecting, identifying and disposing of explosives, made clear that the man was not armed and only had personal belongings with him. Endit