Danish Island Closes Key Routes to Sweden and Germany Over Security Op - Police

The Danish authorities closed Friday bridges and ferry routes with neighboring Sweden in light of a police operation ongoing in the region, local media reported.

According to The Local citing the TT News Agency, Copenhagen police, in particular, ordered the 8-kilometer (5-mile) Oresund Bridge, connecting the Danish capital of Copenhagen with the Swedish city of Malmo, to be closed.

"The only thing I can say at the moment is that we have closed at the request of police," Jens Genders, the spokesperson for Oresund Bridge Consortium, which is operating the bridge, said as quoted by the news outlet.

Following the police announcement, the bridge was reopened in less than an hour. 

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Police reported that they have been searching for Swedish-registered Volvo with three people linked to a serious crime. This echoes a previous report by Aftonbladet paper, which said that there was an alleged case of kidnapping and a car with Swedish registration plates was sought by the police.

Denmark's TV2 broadcaster made a similar claim reporting that the step might have been taken amid a pursuit involving one or more automobiles.

The closure of key crossings has resulted in major traffic jams not far from the bridges to Sweden. 

Zealand, where over 2.3 million people reside, has the largest territory and the highest population among all of Denmark's islands.