Christmas shoppers and residents in a Melbourne suburbs were forced to evacuate on Saturday after a suspected explosive device was found in a car.
The scene has since been “deemed safe,” police said in a statement to news.com.au.
Victoria Police were sent to Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre, in the city’s south east, just before noon to conduct a welfare check on a man spotted in his vehicle.
Wen they arrived the car was empty, but they found a gun and suspected improvised explosive device.
Channel 9 reports that a Christmas Eve shopper approached the car out of concern when they saw a man slumped inside.
However, as the concerned bystander drew near, they noticed a gun on the passenger seat and called the police.
The man fled before authorities arrived.
When police searched the vehicle, they also came across a device that caused the bomb response unit to be called out.
Local residents who lived in nearby Cranbourne Drive were evacuated for around two and a half hours.
The vehicle’s occupant has still not been tracked down.
“The male sighted in the vehicle is yet to be located and investigations remain ongoing,” police said.
Anyone with information that could assist police with their inquiries is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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