they were arrested after police were alerted about " their behaviour " .
the federal prosecutor 's office had said in a statement earlier saturday that the two men were arrested on suspicion of the " manufacture , concealment and transport of explosives and toxic gases " and of violating swiss law prohibiting " groups like al - qaeda , islamic state and similar organisations " .
view gallery geneva police ... because of the increased vigilance required from the police force , " he said . "
the two syrians had just arrived in the swiss city and could not speak french when they were arrested on friday .
geneva ( afp ) - swiss authorities on saturday said two syrians had been arrested in geneva after traces of explosives were found in their car , as police continued to hunt for several suspected jihadists with links to the islamic state group .
swiss president simonetta sommaruga said on friday that a " foreign authority " had provided the information about " a potential is cell in the geneva area " but there was no indication that " a concrete attack " was planned .
jornot later clarified that " the vehicle was at one point used to transport explosives " but that it image copyright afp image caption with geneva on high alert , the city 's airport was evacuated after a suspect package was found two people of syrian origin have been arrested in geneva on suspicion of making , concealing and transporting explosives , the swiss attorney general says .
but jornot said they were not among the four men being searched as suspected jihadists planning attacks following the paris carnage on november 13 and whose photographs have been released by the police .
geneva has been on high alert this week amid fears an is cell was in the area .