A security source later said no explosives had been found on the suspect.
The area around the City2 shopping centre, a major commercial hub in the middle of the Belgian capital, was sealed off, although the nearby metro station was still open.
A spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor said the man was arrested at 5.30am and the army bomb disposal team was brought in to verify whether he was armed with explosives.
Television footage showed a large police presence in neighbouring streets.
Belgium’s crisis centre, which coordinates security measures, said it was holding a meeting, with prime minister Charles Michel and interior minister Jan Jambon present, to discuss the incident.
Michel had been expected to appear on an early morning radio show before rushing off to the meeting.
Arrest near Brussels shopping centre prompts Belgian crisis centre meeting
21 June 2016
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Belgian police detained a man near a central Brussels shopping centre early on Tuesday, prompting a meeting of the prime minister and the national crisis response centre after initial suspicions that he was carrying explosives.
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