Posted on 11/01/2007 10:20:41 AM PDT by Sir Gawain
Two Arrested At Atlanta Airport With Hidden Knives, Razor Blades
POSTED: 6:46 am EDT November 1, 2007 UPDATED: 12:01 pm EDT November 1, 2007
ATLANTA -- Authorities say they have ruled out terrorism in an incident in which two men tried to sneak knives and other weapons onto a flight from Atlanta to New York.
One of the men even made it through security and onto the Delta Air Lines flight. Both have been charged with state violations of carrying concealed weapons, according to an Atlanta police report.
Authorities surrounded 60-year-old Chhaganbhai Patel at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on October 25 after he was found with a number of knives including a martial arts-style knife.
Atlanta police Lt. Jim Corlino said the knife was a large Chinese-style fighting knife with blades that opened on both ends.
Authorities also found 20 small knives wrapped in tin foil. And upon searching Patel's bag three more times, they found razor blades hidden in the battery compartment of a toy car.
Shakarabhai Patel, 64, who was traveling with Chhaganbhai Patel had already made it through security and onto the flight, which was bound for New York and then to India. Officials did not immediately indicate the relationship between the two men.
The plane was brought back to the gate and police said they found a box cutter and $5,000 cash in the second man's bag.
They have been charged with weapons charges. Both men remain in jail while police investigate.
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ATLANTA (AP) — A man with a box cutter in his luggage got through airport security, and was discovered only after screeners stopped a companion who was carrying knives, authorities said. Terrorism was ruled out but both were arrested on state weapons charges.
Authorities said Chhaganbhai Patel, 60, was stopped at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Oct. 25 after he was found with a number of knives including a martial arts-style knife.
Shakarabhai Patel, 64, who was traveling with him, had already made it through security and onto the Delta Air Lines jet, which was bound for New York and then to India, authorities said. The plane was brought back to the gate and police said a box cutter and $5,000 cash were found in the second man's bag.
Both have been charged with state violations of carrying concealed weapons, according to an Atlanta police report.
FBI spokesman Stephen Emmett said Thursday that federal agents interviewed the two men through an interpreter and determined the incident was not terrorism-related. No federal charges were brought. He declined to explain why the men had the knives.
Atlanta police Lt. Jim Corlino told Atlanta television station WAGA that the way the knives were packed "was an intentional concealment."
"The (martial arts) knife was a large, Chinese-style fighting knife," Corlino said. Authorities said they also found 20 small knives wrapped in tin foil and razor blades hidden in the battery compartment of a toy car. The police report said the man indicated he wrapped the knives to keep them from cutting his clothes.
Jon Allen, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, said the arrests illustrate the agency's practice of having multiple layers of security.
"One of those layers is professionally trained officers who through their questioning identified the travel companion," Allen said. "The travel companion was removed from the flight and rescreened and that's when that box cutter was identified."
Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the airline cooperated fully with authorities.
It was not immediately clear if the men had lawyers; police did not return calls seeking more details.
Tin Foil, unsophisticated way of penetrating security
Razor Blades in a remote control car. I remember reading a story in Aviation Today about R/C toys
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
TSA Eyes Remote Control Toys http://www.aviationtoday.com/categories/commercial/16203.html
When I flew down to Texas to pick up my car (I bought it from my brother), I carried on a license plate in my bag!
Right before the bag went through the machine, I said “It has a license plate in it.” The security guy looked at me, looked at the bag going through and said “Ok.”
I put my shoes back on, got my bag and went on my way.
I thought it was unbelievable they let me carry a large plate of thin metal on the plane in my bag!
Patel is the second most common surname in India. It’d be like having two men named Smith on the plane and assuming they were related.
Find the rest of the article at NPR site: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15445779
>>Authorities also found 20 small knives wrapped in tin foil. And upon searching Patel’s bag three more times, they found razor blades hidden in the battery compartment of a toy car.<<
That would imply they would have missed the razor blades if they had found the other stuff. And also how to blades - place them over a similar sized battery in a toy - I wish they had not published that.
“I thought it was unbelievable they let me carry a large plate of thin metal on the plane in my bag!”
Just flew first class to and from Beijing. They had new, shiny, sharp knives onboard with which to cut our steaks. And, of course, the glasses were made of glass and champagne and wine bottles always have been.
How the #&^@*% do you pronounce Chhaganbhai ?
From Glynn County commissioners Meeting:
“Consider the transfer of a 2007 alcoholic beverage license to Snappy Foods #16 (formerly known as Jack Rabbit Investments), 3601 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island, GA. The license is to sell malt beverages and wine package sales, not for consumption on premises; no Sunday sales. Chhaganbhai R. Patel, licensee.
Chhaganbhai Patel, licensee was present at the meeting. Police Chief Matt Doering said the applicant met all the requirements for consideration of issuance of the license.
The Board heard from the following person(s):
In Favor Opposed
None None
A motion was made by Commissioner Keller and seconded by Commissioner Clark to approve the issuance of a 2007 alcoholic beverage license to Snappy Foods #16, 3601 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island, Ga. The license is to sell malt beverages and wine package sales, not for consumption on premises; no Sunday sales. The motion carried 5-1 with Commissioner Lynn opposed.”
Ping.
Oh goody.... and we are flying tomorrow and Monday!
You sound like a terrorist. It wouldn’t be safe to seat you next to somebody with a bunch of knives or a boxcutter. You might get paint on them.
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