'Suspicious device’ containing nails and gunpowder found on parked German train, police say

Item found as Germany celebrates 30th year of reunification

The device was found on an out of service train in Cologne, Germany (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

German police have defused a suspicious device containing nails, screws, gunpowder and firecrackers found on an out-of-service train near Cologne.

A cleaner found the suspect device on Friday evening as the country celebrated its 30th year of reunification.

Police used sniffer dogs to confirm the location of the box the device was found in.

But police later said the believed the device was not capable of igniting in the situation where it was found, Reuters reports.

Specialists believe that, even if it had been ignited, the nails would have moved only a few centimeters and a risk to nearby people or objects was "extremely unlikely," the statement said.

Special forces x-rayed the box before defusing the device on site, newspaper Bild reported.

The newspaper cited investigators as saying it was still unclear whether it was a failed terrorist attack or an attempted blackmail threat.

Experts examined the composition of the object, which was moved to a secure area.

Officers searched 27 other trains on the same sidings.

As of mid-afternoon Saturday, they hadn't found any other suspicious objects, police spokesman Thomas Held told German broadcaster n-tv.

Mr Held said the background to the find was still unclear and police are “investigating in all directions”.

Additional reporting by agencies