UPDATE: Israeli flying to bomb-detection training sparks airport panic with fake bomb in carry-on, cops say

The third level of Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport was temporarily closed Tuesday morning while police investigated a suspicious package, causing long security lines.

An Israeli citizen was taken into custody after Transportation Security Administration employees detected the item during a screening, according to Port Authority spokesman Scott Ladd.

He told police he was headed to a police training seminar in Panama City, Florida after arriving in Newark on a flight from Tel Aviv and that the material was to be used as part of the training, according to Ladd.

The Essex County bomb squad seized the device. The identity of the man has not been disclosed. The spokesman said he didn't yet know if the Israeli would be charged.

Photos on Twitter showed an extremely long line as passengers waited to pass through security before heading to gates to catch flights.

Others complained that neither United Airlines nor TSA employees have offered an explanation for the delays. At one point seven of nine screening lanes were closed, the Port Authority said.

#united #tsa mess in #ewr all security shutdown one line? How about communicating and prioritizing by flight time pic.twitter.com/6d2g7jv0c9 — Paul Gentile (@TheHobbyGuy) September 4, 2018

Rene Schwartz-Burger described the situation in Terminal C as a "disaster," adding the TSA closed pre-check with "hundreds of people on line."

Terminals A and B operated normally, officials said.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.