• The man was stopped by agents of the Chilean Investigation Police

LONDON: A Portuguese man wanted by Interpol in connection with the 2020 Beirut port blast was arrested in Santiago on Wednesday, Chilean police have confirmed.

The man, who was not identified, arrived in the Chilean capital on a flight from Spain and was placed on a return flight to Madrid following his arrest, according to a police statement.

Police official Christan Saez said the man is wanted for allegedly smuggling “explosive elements” into Lebanon, which are linked to the August 2020 blast that killed more than 200 people.

The Portuguese national was stopped by agents of the Chilean Investigation Police, according to Saez.

The Beirut port explosion devastated entire neighborhoods of the Lebanese capital, with authorities determining the cause of the blast to be linked to a shipment of ammonium nitrate fertilizer that caught fire after being stored for years in dangerous conditions.

* With AP