‘Suspicious device’ made to look like bomb shuts down Australia Fair Shopping Centre

Police have confirmed a suspicious device found in a Gold Coast shopping centre was made to look like a bomb.

A police officer blocks traffic near Marine Parade in Southport after a suspicious device was found.

A DEVICE found in the toilet block of a Gold Coast shopping centre was made to look like a bomb, police have confirmed.

The suspicious device shut down areas around Australia Fair Shopping Centre in Southport for most of the afternoon.

Emergency services arrived on scene around 12pm after reports of a suspicious package in one of the toilet blocks.

Acting Inspector Chris Smith said the object was made to look like a bomb by taping wires together and there was no detonator attached.

Mr Smith said it’s a probability that the person who placed the object in the toilet block could face jail time.

Police stopping traffic on Marine Parade.

“It’s extremely frustrating, this is a very busy part of the Gold Coast, we are on the Gold Coast Highway,” he said.

“There are a number of police resources that need to be utilised for this incident.

“We have to use the best resources we have to make this area safe.”

Mr Smith had a clear massage to anyone thinking about conducting a similar act.

“Simply no, do not do it, do not even think about doing it if anyone sees this, don’t even think about copycatting it,”

“It’s highly dangerous and it’s highly disruptive to society.”

Police are responding to an incident on Marine Parade at Southport on the Gold Coast. Please avoid the surrounding area if possible. pic.twitter.com/MQsQcGROGY

— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) June 4, 2020

Earlier police set up an exclusion zone, cornering off areas around Marine Parade.

A Queensland Police spokesman said everyone “should avoid the area as assessments continue”.

Senior Sargent Leigh McGuinness from Queensland Police said just past lunch time today a member of the public enter the Southport toilet block and reported a suspicious package.

Mr McGuinness said no one has was allowed to enter the toilet block until the Brisbane bomb squad turned up and it was hard to clarify what the device in question looked like from the picture sent.

“There is no smell, there is no timing device attached to it, it’s bigger than your fist, it’s enough for us to have concern in relation to it, hence we’ve contacted our bomb squad to come out and inspect it.”

The bomb squad arrived from Brisbane at 1.45pm.

Police outside the toilet block where the suspicious device was found. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Police are operating the lights outside Australia Fair and patrolling all the way down to Nerang Street.

Inside Australia Fair workers were forced to leave their work sites and wait in the corridor of the building until police told them it was safe to return.

Stores closed in Australia Fair after the device was discovered.

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Police directing cars leaving the Australia Fair car park away from the scene.