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Man arrested at London Gatwick with live hand grenade
Sky News ^ | Sky News

Posted on 02/13/2003 9:58:16 AM PST by GoreFreeTN

AIRPORT TERROR ARRESTS

A Venezuelan national has been arrested at Gatwick Airport after a live grenade was found in his luggage.

The 37-year-old man had arrived on a flight from the Columbian capital, Bogota.

He was picked up by anti-terrorist police as he entered Gatwick's North Terminal.

The Terminal has been closed and flights suspended.

Earlier, two men were arrested near Heathrow Airport's perimeter fence and held as a "precautionary measure."

No weapons were found but officers were not satisfied with the answers they gave. The pair were said to be of North African origin.

They were taken to Paddington Green police station in central London where they are being held under the Terrorism Act 2000.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "They have just been arrested and we have no further information at the moment. They have not even been interviewed yet."

It is not believed the men are linked to any plot to attack the airport, sources said.

The airport has been centre of a huge security operation amid fears terrorists were planning to use rocket-launcher to blow up a plane.

Around 450 heavily-armed troops and hundreds of police officers have been guarding it since Tuesday after what the Government called a "specific threat".

Police have been stopping and searching cars in surrounding areas.

Army Lynx helicopters have been patrolling the airspace around Heathrow while an RAF Nimrod plane has been circling the capital.

Last Updated: 17:50 UK, Thursday February 13, 2003


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 02/13/2003 9:58:16 AM PST by GoreFreeTN
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; Travis McGee
fyi
2 posted on 02/13/2003 10:00:24 AM PST by Dog
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To: GoreFreeTN
A Venezuelan national has been arrested at Gatwick Airport after a live grenade was found in his luggage.

Man, I hate it when that happens. People, please remember to check your pockets before you pack for that trip.

3 posted on 02/13/2003 10:01:34 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: Dog
He gets on with a live hand grenade and they won't let me take my knitting.
4 posted on 02/13/2003 10:02:02 AM PST by Bahbah (Pray for our Troops)
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To: GoreFreeTN
Some flights are arriving but according to BA employees, no one is being allowed to deplane
5 posted on 02/13/2003 10:02:25 AM PST by GoreFreeTN
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To: GoreFreeTN
I'm sorry - as horrible as this is I sometimes wonder - Are these people stupid or what? Jeeze even the nutjob Richard Reid had the good sense to hide his explosive in his shoe!
6 posted on 02/13/2003 10:02:54 AM PST by areafiftyone (The U.N. is now officially irrelevant! The building is for Sale!!!)
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To: GoreFreeTN
You mean you cant take those things carry on?
7 posted on 02/13/2003 10:02:56 AM PST by SouthParkRepublican
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To: Bahbah
"He gets on with a live hand grenade and they won't let me take my knitting."

They are afraid you might knit an Afgan.

8 posted on 02/13/2003 10:04:16 AM PST by SouthParkRepublican
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To: Bahbah
They say it was in his luggage and was checked scanned by UK customs after landing. He departed Bogota this AM.
9 posted on 02/13/2003 10:04:59 AM PST by GoreFreeTN
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To: GoreFreeTN
Now they have closed a tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan due to suspicious package. Per Fox news
10 posted on 02/13/2003 10:05:05 AM PST by Kerberos
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To: GoreFreeTN
This guy sounds like a real maroon.
11 posted on 02/13/2003 10:05:54 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (Let's Roll)
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To: SouthParkRepublican
LOL!
12 posted on 02/13/2003 10:08:34 AM PST by Billthedrill
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: GoreFreeTN
"The pair were said to be of North African origin."

Hmmm, North African - could they mean like, um Swedish, or uh, Japanese?

14 posted on 02/13/2003 10:09:39 AM PST by Psalm 73 ("Gentlemen, you can't fight in here - this is a war room".)
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To: SouthParkRepublican
Too funny.
15 posted on 02/13/2003 10:10:03 AM PST by Bahbah (Pray for our Troops)
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To: GoreFreeTN
Must be that it did not fit into the overhead compartment or underneath the seat....
16 posted on 02/13/2003 10:11:56 AM PST by Made In The USA (Where is the outrage?!)
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To: Psalm 73
French populated North Africa I thought?
17 posted on 02/13/2003 10:12:53 AM PST by GoreFreeTN
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To: areafiftyone
Are these people stupid or what? Jeeze even the nutjob ...

Perhaps the 'customs' are just 'different' in Bogota, Columbia:

The 37-year-old man had arrived on a flight from the Columbian capital, Bogota.

18 posted on 02/13/2003 10:13:22 AM PST by _Jim (//NASA has a better safety record than NASCAR\\)
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To: areafiftyone
How unfair of you to say this. Really, now -- how can anyone hide a hand grenade in a shoe???
19 posted on 02/13/2003 10:15:33 AM PST by tracer (/b>)
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To: SouthParkRepublican
They are afraid you might knit an Afgan.

LOL!

20 posted on 02/13/2003 10:15:44 AM PST by talleyman (Al Queida hada V-*8!)
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