TRIPwire, 6 May 2019

On 3 May 2019, Greater Manchester Police officers arrested a 26-year-old male for emplacing three hoax IEDs at two different locations in the city. Two of the hoax devices were discovered in Piccadilly Gardens and the third was found in Oldham. British Army Royal Logistics Corps Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians responded and conducted render safe procedures on at least one of the devices, but all were subsequently determined to be non-viable. The suspect was also found to be in possession of unidentified weapons at the time of his arrest. No further information was available on the construction of the hoax devices, and no motive for their emplacement was shared with the press.