On Sunday night, investigators examined a suspicious device found in a trash can near a train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, that forced the suspension of service on the busy Northeast Corridor line. Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said two men called police and reported seeing wires and a pipe coming out of the package after finding it at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday

A bomb was detonated by police at a New Jersey station hours after five people in a SUV were pulled over near New York City's Verrazano Bridge on Sunday night and taken into custody in connection with Saturday's Chelsea bombing.

Officers at Elizabeth train station were startled by the huge bang that erupted without warning just before 1am on Monday morning when a robot cut the wrong wire on one of five devices - causing it to explode.

While there was no immediate sign of damage to the station, authorities warned the public there may be more detonations through the night as they attempt to diffuse the IED's.

'This was an explosive device' containing as many as five devices, said Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage . 'Based on the loudness, I think people could have been seriously hurt'.

Authorities raised the frightening possibility that an active terror cell was currently in the midst of unleashing attacks across New Jersey and New York and around 9.30pm two men discovered up to five suspect packages in the trash and alerted the police.

Earlier in New York City the FBI called the NYPD for backup at around 8.45pm after making the decision to halt a 'vehicle of interest' on the busy Belt Parkway and found the occupants were heavily armed.

According to The Associated Press, the five were taken to an FBI building in lower Manhattan to be questioned.

The FBI have admitted they are looking for additional suspects.

Developments: Agents with the FBI pulled over a car on a highway in Brooklyn on Sunday night and were questioning the vehicle's occupants in connection with the investigation into the New York City bombing that injured 29 people, authorities said.