Police Arrest Wrong Woman Following Disneyland Paris Gunman Scare

Paris was on high alert today after a man was arrested with two semi-automatic handguns and a copy of the Koran.A woman, thought to be his companion was arrested soon after, but a Disneyland spokesperson has since revealed it was a case of mistaken identity.

The 28-year-old man had the weapons hidden in his baggage, along with a knife, when he set off a metal detector at the New York Hotel in the hugely popular tourist site.

He allowed security guards to search his bag, and they found the weapons, along with the book, according to the police source.

The semiautomatic 7.65-millimeter pistols were inside cloth bags, along with two magazines and 20 bullets.Both weapons dates back to the 1980s, and there was also a small booklet entitled ‘A guide to the Holy Koran’ in French.

A judicial police source said: ‘Following questioning, the man made it clear that he had the guns with him for personal protection. The enquiry is ongoing, but it is not a terrorist enquiry.’

But a spokesman for the theme park, which attracts more than 14 million visitors a year including many from Britain, made it clear that the incident was of huge concern.

He said: ‘During a routine security screening checkpoint at one of our hotels, weapons were discovered in a guest’s luggage through our X-ray machine. The police were immediately notified and the individual was arrested.’

The man had booked a room for two people in the hotel, and was with a woman who has since disappeared.

‘She is thought to be his wife or girlfriend,’ said a police source, following the incident, which happened soon just before 2pm.

‘A woman was arrested in Paris later in the day, but it turned out to be the wrong one.’

Later in the afternoon, the couple’s black car could be seen being towed away on the back of a lorry.

The New York Hotel is situated in the Disney Village, a row of shops and other businesses where visitors to Disneyland can buy souvenirs.