Explosive munitions on flight to US
By Michael Weissenstein in New York
15sep04
A US government contractor brought highly explosive Soviet munitions on his trip home from Afghanistan that were not detected until he arrived at John F. Kennedy airport, federal officials said.
Shaun Marshall, a medic for defence contractor DynCorp, arrived at Kennedy on August 19 from the United Arab Emirates.
He was trying to board a United Airlines flight home to California when he was pulled aside for a routine security check.
A search of his bags by federal screeners found what police bomb technicians described in an FBI complaint as a Soviet "projectile point detonating fuse" and a "surface-to-air and air-to-air cartridge."
Federal officials said they could not comment on the risk that the munitions posed to the flight.
But the city police bomb squad determined the munitions were "highly explosive", according to the FBI complaint.
Mr Marshall also had five .50-caliber bullets and four small arms cartridges, which he did not declare to United as required by law, according to the complaint made public yesterday.
The Transportation Security Administration officers who searched Marshall's bags called police for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.
"The fact that TSA located these explosives indicated the system is working," Assistant US Attorney Lawrence Ferazani said.
Mr Marshall, 26, told officers he was importing the munitions, which he believed to be inert, for use in DynCorp training exercises, and Port Authority police released him, federal officials said.
The FBI sent agents to arrest Marshall at his Riverside, California, home after the bomb squad analysed the munitions and DynCorp officials said Mr Marshall had no involvement in its training operations.
A Port Authority spokesman said he could not comment on why Mr Marshall was released. (snipped)
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10772717%255E1702,00.html
Federal officials said they could not comment on the risk that the munitions posed to the flight.
"The fact that TSA located these explosives indicated the system is working,"
Yup, and what about the ones they miss? If security at the United Arab Emirates is not up to snuff (and by this example it appears they have virtually no security implemented) who's to believe this is the first and only instance of illegal and deadly items being transported to the USA from the UAE?
Explosive munitions on flight to US
By Michael Weissenstein in New York
15sep04
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10772717%255E1702,00.html
Honestly, I am stunned that Marshall was let go so easily by PAPD. Thanks for the article and link.