Roadblocks were in place from Bergsgatan to Drottninggatan in central Malmö, and a VMA (important message to the public) was issued.
"There is a major impact on traffic, not least bus traffic in Malmö," Evelina Olsson says.
At 2 p.m., the suspicious object was detonated by the national bomb disposal unit.
Buses in the area have been evacuated of passengers, and residents in the area are being advised to remain in their homes. This also applies to guests and staff at a hotel within the cordoned-off area.
"They should stay away from windows and stay indoors. This also applies to people who are inside restaurants and shops," Evelina Olsson says.
The police do not want to go into detail about the object that was found. In photos from the scene, the object appears to be some kind of hand grenade.
"We don't say anything until we've investigated it, because sometimes it has looked a certain way but has been something completely different. So we want to know for sure what it is first."
The object was found outdoors.
"It was the general public who noticed this, which is great considering that there are quite a few people on the move today," Evelina Olsson says.
The blockades will be provisionally lifted at 2:30 p.m., police say.
