Four held in UK airport alert (on flight from U.S., had knives, mace, and stun gun)

CNN ^ | November 6, 2001

[Ganymede]

GATWICK, England --Four Britons have been arrested in possession of an array of weapons after arriving at a UK airport on a flight from the United States.

The four were detained on Saturday in the customs hall at London's Gatwick Airport after arriving in Britain from Orlando, Florida, a Sussex Police spokeswoman told CNN.

[Ganymede]

I'm sure this is just an isolated event. Coincidence and all . . . Not at all tied to the terrorist attacks on America.

[codder too]

What security Co does Orlando use???

[MizSterious]

I note they were careful to omit any references as to "swarthiness."

[ginger's dad]

All of the items were in bags which had been checked into the plane's cargo hold.

I think this is key here.

[TopDog2]

This is pretty much the same set of weapons that the guy in Chicago tried to get past security in his carry-on. I wonder what these attempts are the prelude to?

[be-baw]

Sounds like they were armed just like that Nepalese guy who was nabbed at Chicago's O'Hare this past Saturday. Of course, HE was not a threat to anyone...or so say the "authorities" and the media.

[TexRef]

All of the items were in bags which had been checked into the plane's cargo hold.

So people aren't allowed to CHECK knives in their luggage?!?

Of course, you realize that in the People's Republic of England knives and such horrible items are prohibited (read:illegal) -- this is the direction that we are headed in over here unless we develop a little common sense.

[spunkets]

"All of the items were in bags which had been checked into the plane's cargo hold. "

In other words, this has nothing to do with weapons on a plane, it's about the prohibition of weapons in England.

[Ganymede]

In other words, this has nothing to do with weapons on a plane, it's about the prohibition of weapons in England.

Thanks. For a minute there, I was starting to get worried about our airport security.

[aomagrat]

Seems like these dudes picked up a few souvenirs of their visit to the states. The kind of "souvenirs" that are banned in jolly ol' England.

[mombonn]

The incident comes as U.S. officials investigate a security alert at Chicago airport after a man was stopped with seven knives and a stun gun in his hand luggage as he was about to board a flight.

Here is a quote from a thread just started on the Chicago episode: "At Gate C-5, the affidavit says, United workers doing a spot search looked into Mr. Gurung's duffel bag, fanny pack and a white plastic shopping bag, finding seven folding knives with blades up to four inches, along with a stun gun and a small container labeled tear gas/pepper spray."

In an interview with a television station here, Mr. Gurung said he had meant to put the knives, which he said he carried for his protection, in his checked baggage.

This is getting creepy, and yet I just heard the radio news once again say that Gurung had no terrorist intentions.

I've got a bridge I'd be willing to sell . . .

[MizSterious]

With the Nepalese man, if he's an actual terrorist, it would appear that the terrorist movement has crossed even religious boundaries. Nepal is almost overwhelmingly Buddhist--a religion that is pretty nonviolent. I wonder if somehow bin Laden somehow appealed to him, or if, as the authorities are saying, he's not really a terrorist. Quite a mystery.

[gumbo]

I note they were careful to omit any references as to "swarthiness."

I don't know whether these young men were "swarthy" or not, but it does seem odd when news services refer to U.K. citizens of middle-eastern origin as "Britons." (Such as Dodi Fayed, who was a citizen of the U.K. But was he a Briton?)

I thought the word "Briton" originally applied to a tribe of people living in England before the Anglo-Saxon tribes invaded. And, that post-invasion, the the word "Briton" came to mean a person of Briton/Angle/Saxon/Celtic/Danish/Norman descent.

I wonder if it is properly used in the same way as "American" is used to refer to U.S. citizens of any ethnic origin.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Triple]

I think the guy arrested in Chicago lived with one of the other detainees from the investigation - one of the two who took Amtrak after there flight on 9-11 was directed to land by Bush. They were stopped with box-cutter knives, cash and hair dye.

Still think this was 'just kids' messing around?

[tonycavanagh]

re : wonder if somehow bin Laden somehow appealed to him, or if, as the authorities are saying, he's not really a terrorist. Quite a mystery.

Or just a copycat Kook.

Tony

[Lion's Cub]

What security Co does Orlando use???

Argenbright, but I don't know how many of the airlines there use it. This article doesn't say which airline the perps used.

[Lion's Cub]

More antics associated with the Orlando cell...

[floriduh voter]

These Orlando guys had the exact stuff the guy had in Chicago. Sounds to me like these guys are testing the system. If they get caught isn't the point one way or the other. They might not have pledged to die but pledged to risk jail time. It's probably in their terrorist manual. Others will try to breach the system until they find a vulnerability.

So, maybe the Chicago guy was headed for the Sears Tower because his knives were carry on, but the Orlando guys were just testing. If Chicago guy was possibly going to take the plane, who else was on that manifest? If he had seven knives, for whom? I hope this has been poured over.