Sydney Police Arrest Man Over Bomb Threat in Shopping Mall

Earlier in the day, Australian police cordoned off a portion of the shopping center after a bomb threat was reported from a mall cafe in Sydney.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A man was arrested in Sydney, Australia, following reports of a bomb threat in a shopping center, New South Wales police said Friday.

"One man in custody during police operation. No further information available at this time," the police force wrote on Twitter, after reports of a bomb threat.

UPDATE: Hornsby. One man in custody during police operation. No further information available at this time.

— NSW Police (@nswpolice) 13 февраля 2015

The operation in Westfield shopping center in Hornsby, Sydney, is now over. Earlier in the day, police cordoned off a portion of the shopping center after a bomb threat was reported from a mall cafe.

This is a second bomb threat in Australia in recent days. On Thursday, the headquarters of the Australian Federal Police in Brisbane was placed on lockdown after receiving a bomb threat via the National Security Hotline.

In December, almost 20 people were held hostage in a cafe in Sydney. Police stormed the eatery after a 16-hour siege. Three people were killed, including the gunman.

Following the incident, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that the terror threat in the country remained high.