Posted on 05/09/2010 6:38:02 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Pakistani officers arrested a man at Karachi airport after batteries and an electrical circuit were found in his shoes as he tried to board a plane for the Middle East, an official said.
The 30-year-old civil engineer allegedly told interrogators he came from Pakistan's northwestern province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Taliban and Islamist militants have a presence, and had been scheduled to travel to Muscat by Thai Airways.
Mohammad Munir, Airport Security Force spokesman, said the bearded man, whom he named as Faiz Mohammad, was arrested when a scanner sounded an alarm.
The suspect was not found in possession of explosives, but Munir described the circuit discovery as "worrying".
"He was on the way to board flight TG 507 for Muscat. After the machine gave the alarm, we checked him manually," said the spokesman.
"We have recovered four live batteries and a circuit, with a button to switch it on and off," Munir said.
The suspect allegedly told investigators he was living in Karachi, Pakistan's southern city, but was planning to return to Muscat, where he had previously worked for a construction company, to set up his own business.
"The devices found from the suspect suggested that if he was carrying explosive material, he could have easily blown the explosives up in the plane," said Munir.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Test run. Had he gotten onboard without incident there would be a subsequent flight where he’d have his part of the bomb and someone else would sneak on the explosive portion of it. They get together onboard and ... BOOM!
Maybe he was to meet up with colleagues who were carrying the rest of the device.
From the construction industry to the destruction industry.
probe....
THREAD BUMP.
UPDATE:
Note: Photo included.
Photo caption:
“Arrested Pakistani civil engineer Faiz Mohammad stands behind bars at a police station in Karachi early May 10, 2010. – AFP”
#
“Man held at Karachi airport with ‘therapy shoes’”
Monday, 10 May, 2010
SNIPPET: “KARACHI: A Pakistani man arrested at Karachi airport with batteries and electrical circuits in his shoes was likely wearing “therapy shoes” and his detention could be a false alarm, officials said on Monday.
The man, identified as Faiz Mohammad, 30, was about to board a Thai Airways flight to Muscat late on Sunday when the devices were found during a routine security check.
He was not carrying any explosives nor were any other suspicious items found on him or in his luggage, an airport security official said.
Senior police investigator Niaz Khoso said the suspect had told the police that the shoes were used for massage.”
Al Jazeera has reported that the wires and switch were a foot massage contraption.
Amish again?
UPDATE:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5isCNO74qao3i-mK3lVMiYX1JBhdA
“Pakistan frees man held over Karachi airport security scare”
(AFP) – 1 day ago
KARACHI —
SNIPPET: “Police and intelligence agencies questioned him extensively before clearing him of trying to commit any terror activity in the plane, Karachi’s chief police investigator Niaz Khoso said.
“The joint investigation team extensively questioned and in the end found him innocent,” Khoso told AFP. “The man has been released,” he said.
“We also engaged our experts and people in the market who confirmed that the shoes he was wearing were for massage comfort and easily available in the market,” Khoso said.
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Previously...
“’Suspected shoe bomber’ arrested at Pakistan airport”
SNIPPET: “Security officials at Karachi’s international airport arrested a suspected suicide bomber after they discovered electrical circuits hidden in the heels of his shoes.”
Dean Nelson in New Delhi
Published: 9:13PM BST 10 May 2010
SNIPPET: “Faiz Mohammad, 30 year old civil engineer, was stopped as he passed through security after electrical wiring, two batteries and a switch were detected in his shoes.
Investigators believe the circuits had been installed as a detonator for explosives.”
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