August 24, 2006, - 2:32 pm
Indian Cellphone Dry-Runners Get Away With It
By
So several Indian (and probably Muslim) passengers on a Northwest flight have a large number of cellphones on the flight, won’t listen to the flight crew, and are disruptive. But yet, they are not suspicious at all.
And are released! Huh? At the very least, they should be charged with obstructing a flight crew or disorderly conduct . . . or something.
From AP:
Prosecutors said Thursday they found no evidence of a terrorist threat aboard a Northwest Airlines flight that was diverted to Amsterdam, and are releasing all 12 passengers arrested after the jetliner landed.
The men, all Indian nationals, had aroused suspicions on Flight NW0042 to Bombay because they had a large number of cell phones and other equipment, and refused to follow the crew’s instructions, prosecutors said.
Because of those actions by the passengers, the pilot of the DC-10 radioed for help shortly after takeoff Wednesday and the plane was escorted back to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport by two Dutch fighter jets. The 12 were arrested after the plane landed.
“A thorough investigation of the cell phones in the plane found that the phones were not manipulated and no explosives were found on board the plane,” said a statement from the prosecutor’s office in Haarlem, which has jurisdiction over the airport.
“From the statements of the suspects and the witnesses, no evidence could be brought forward that these men were about to commit an act of violence,” the statement said.
Sure sounds like a dry run for us. And a very successful one at that. The suspects managed to draw the captain out of the cockpit (not again?!). They used cell phones on the flight in violation of rules. And they saw what would happen to them for doing so and for disobeying the flight crew: NOTHING!
And they managed to get away with it, five years after 9/11.
Is there anyone who really believes it’s just a mere coincidence that there are so many seeming apparent dry runs in the few weeks since the British hijacking plot was foiled?
Tags: Amsterdam, Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, Bombay, Captain, cell phones, DC-10, Debbie Schlussel So, Flight NW0042, Northwest, Northwest Airlines, prosecutor
They’re hoping the authorities will get sick of it and become complacent. Then BAM! 🙁
GaryF on August 24, 2006 at 3:17 pm