Grenade-shaped cologne stops rush-hour traffic in Brazil

Grenade-shaped cologne raises stink in Brazil

SAO PAULO — Talk about making a stink.

A grenade-shaped bottle left under a busy bridge closed a major thoroughfare and brought police to investigate — only to discover that it contained French cologne.

The black bottle of Arsenal cologne by the design house of Gilles Cantuel looked realistic enough for police to halt rush-hour traffic Thursday morning.

The result was a three-mile (five-kilometer) traffic jam in South America’s biggest city — already known for its congested streets.

It wasn’t clear if the bottle was left as a practical joke or for more sinister reasons, police investigator Renato Fernandes told the Globo news Web site.

Police have made no arrests in the case.