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Man arrested at Chicago airport trying to board plane with 7 knives, stun gun
Nando Times ^ | 11/24/2001 | AP

Posted on 11/04/2001 7:00:19 PM PST by Enlightiator

The Associated Press

CHICAGO (November 4, 2001 06:48 p.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) - A 27-year-old man possessing seven knives and a stun gun was arrested trying to board a flight at O'Hare International Airport, police said Sunday.

Subash Gurung, a Nepal native, was arrested Saturday night prior to boarding a United Airlines flight to Omaha, Neb., said police spokesman Thomas Donegan.

He was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and attempting to board an aircraft with weapons, both misdemeanor charges.

Gurung, questioned by police and the FBI, was released from custody at 4:30 a.m. Sunday.

Donegan was unsure what authorities learned while questioning Gurung, saying they apparently "didn't have reason to keep him." He has no previous arrests in Chicago.

Gurung had made it past the security checkpoint at O'Hare but airline employees in the gate area searched his bag in a routine check and found the lock-blade knives and the Taser gun, Donegan said.

Gurung told police he's unemployed. Donegan was unsure why Gurung was headed to Omaha.

The FBI declined to comment Sunday.

United spokesman Joe Hopkins wouldn't say why Gurung was searched, but said it was part of the airline's regular security procedures.

"The United employees did a great job of intercepting this guy with the weapons and preventing him from boarding the flight," Hopkins said.


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To: syriacus
Okay people, i dont know if this will ring a bell or anything but do any of you remember something a number of weeks ago about some mideasterners that were detained in or around Nepal or Bangladesh. They were like an Iraqi and Iranian and a another of some sort, they were carrying what they said was glass tube that was a light bulb or something. I seem to have a vague memory of this, not much was said of it though at the time, i think it was pre Anthrax.
21 posted on 11/04/2001 7:58:04 PM PST by Husker24
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To: Enlightiator
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A man was arrested Saturday night at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, when he tried to board a flight with nine knives, a can of Mace and a stun gun, police said.

The man may have some connection with two men who were detained Sept.12 in Texas as material witnesses in the investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, CNN has learned.

Police arrested Subash Gurung, 27, who said he was from Nepal, and charged him with unlawful possession of a weapon and attempting to board an aircraft with a weapon, both misdemeanor charges.

A security screener removed two knives from Gurung's pocket before he was allowed through the security checkpoint, said Monique Bond, a spokeswoman for Chicago's aviation department.

The other seven knives, the Mace and the stun gun were found in his carry-on luggage during a routine search before he boarded a United Airlines flight 1085 to Omaha, Nebraska, said Officer Thomas Donegan of the Chicago Police.

United Airlines immediately fired at least two security screeners and a supervisor after the weapons' discovery, Bond said.

In an interview with CNN affiliate WLS-TV in Chicago, Gurung said he was in a hurry and had carried the weapons in his bag by accident.

He said he was on his way to Omaha to visit friends and that he had bought the weapons in Chicago to protect himself. Gurung said he was unemployed, but then told the reporter he worked in a warehouse.

Police and FBI agents questioned Gurung, who was taken to a holding facility in suburban Chicago, fingerprinted and processed, then released on bond, Donegan said. He is to appear in court December 19.

CNN has learned that Gurung listed the same West Hollywood Avenue apartment address in Chicago as Ayub Ali Khan, a material witness in the September 11 attacks.

Khan and Mohamed Jaweed Azmath were arrested September 12 in Fort Worth, Texas, on an Amtrak train heading to San Antonio, Texas. Found in their possession were $5,500 cash, two flat box-cutter type knives and hair dye. Azmath also had copies of numerous passport photos.

The hijackers of the planes that crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were believed to have used box-cutters as weapons.

On the day of the attacks, Khan and Azmath were on a TWA flight from Newark, New Jersey, to San Antonio. The flight was diverted to St. Louis, when the FAA closed the skies to commercial aircraft after the terrorist hijackings and attacks.

Khan and Azmath lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, but a records check by CNN also found a Chicago address for Khan sandwiched between two New Jersey addresses he'd used.

The Chicago address was the same apartment building as Gurung.

A government source told CNN that Khan never actually lived in the apartment in Chicago and never actually worked there.

But, the source said, "many phone calls were made to and from that apartment, and credit card bills were paid from that address."

Gurung's arrest also focused renewed attention on Argenbright Security Inc., the firm for which the fired employees worked. Argenbright reached a settlement in October with the Justice Department, admitting it had failed to complete court-ordered background checks on its employees.

That move followed by less than a year guilty pleas by three Argenbright managers who admitted breaking FAA rules. They allowed untrained employees -- some with criminal backgrounds -- to operate airport checkpoints, the managers said.

22 posted on 11/04/2001 7:59:23 PM PST by damnlimey
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To: Enlightiator
This is crazy. What is going on?
23 posted on 11/04/2001 8:00:11 PM PST by FR_addict
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To: FR_addict
If this guy supposedly lived at the same address as 2 material witnesses to the Sept 11 attack, then why wasnt He a material witness as well if he lived with them. They should have at least detained him for a little while longer.
24 posted on 11/04/2001 8:04:15 PM PST by Husker24
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To: damnlimey
Why the hell did they let him go? I'll be damned if he shows up for his court hearing. He will fade into the background of some city and never be caught.
25 posted on 11/04/2001 8:07:09 PM PST by lmr
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To: NautiNurse
"why, then is he in our country?"

Our country? This is the world's dumping ground for their undesireables.

26 posted on 11/04/2001 8:16:37 PM PST by blam
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To: Enlightiator
He was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and attempting to board an aircraft with weapons, both misdemeanor charges. Gurung, questioned by police and the FBI, was released from custody at 4:30 a.m. Sunday.

Donegan was unsure what authorities learned while questioning Gurung, saying they apparently "didn't have reason to keep him." He has no previous arrests in Chicago.

Ho,Boy. Well, that makes me feel better... NOT!

27 posted on 11/04/2001 8:23:47 PM PST by Texas Mom
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To: Husker24
Thats the scarey thing, if he wanted to be caught then what actually got through while everone else was freaking out about the knives?? The old bait and switch?? Lets hope nothing bad got through during the incident.
28 posted on 11/04/2001 8:30:13 PM PST by Ordie 1
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To: Enlightiator
Gurung told police he's unemployed. Donegan was unsure why Gurung was headed to Omaha.

Job interview...maybe for an airline screener.

29 posted on 11/04/2001 8:39:10 PM PST by paul51
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To: lmr
Maybe they (FBI, CIA?) are going to see where he goes, and who he talks to...if he is as stupid as he appears, maybe he will make other mistakes and they will get more guys from the cell.
30 posted on 11/04/2001 9:12:41 PM PST by mostlyundecided
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To: mostlyundecided
...call me a dreamer...
31 posted on 11/04/2001 9:13:02 PM PST by mostlyundecided
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To: lmr
Well hopefully they'll keep an eye on him, and see where he goes - the guy's obviously an idiot incapable of hiding behind a consistent alibi. He may lead them to a jackpot. I sure as heck hope that's why, because the single most disappointing part of this war has been enforcement on the domestic front, methinks.
32 posted on 11/04/2001 9:14:49 PM PST by PianoMan
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To: damnlimey
Police and FBI agents questioned Gurung, who was taken to a holding facility in suburban Chicago, fingerprinted and processed, then released on bond, Donegan said. He is to appear in court December 19.

Attention Chicago FReepers....check this dude out...who is his lawyer....?

(I bet he doesn't appear in court)

33 posted on 11/04/2001 9:15:09 PM PST by spokeshave
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To: Coolidge75
WTF?

Hey, that's what I was going to say!!

34 posted on 11/04/2001 9:18:25 PM PST by timestax
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To: timestax
DID THE FEDS CHECK THE FLIGHT MANIFEST for at least six other "middle eastern" [/racial profiling] types who could be on that flight....AND MEET THE FLIGHT ON ARRIVAL....?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Lets see now,

1. distribute six box cutters to accomplices

2. Disable flight attendants/passenders with stun gun.

3. Take over controls

. 4. Repeat WTC crash

35 posted on 11/04/2001 9:26:06 PM PST by spokeshave
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To: Enlightiator
Gurung is back in custody. He was picked up when he went to claim his checked-in baggage during the day.

According to the late local news broadcast, the 7 baggage screeners and the supervisor were fired for letting him through the checkpoint.

36 posted on 11/04/2001 9:28:26 PM PST by Mr_Magoo
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To: spokeshave
Wow, that's a very possible scenario. Goodbye, Sears Tower.
37 posted on 11/04/2001 9:30:02 PM PST by PianoMan
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To: spokeshave
4. Repeat WTC crash

Looks like it's going to happen. If there's anything we've learned from modern American society, it's that the government will never bother to take action until people die. LOTS of people. Apparantly, in 2001, 5000 people isn't quite enough.

Oh, who am I kidding. When this happens a second time, people will stop flying, period. There will BE no more airline industry.

38 posted on 11/04/2001 9:38:57 PM PST by Timesink
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To: spokeshave
No kidding- no way seven knives would be just for one guy's self-defense.

On the extremely optomistic side, maybe the FAA is using a nark terrorist to find security holes, as security firms do by using shoplifters to find weaknesses in a given store's security. Who would be better at it than someone who was doing it professionally?

39 posted on 11/04/2001 9:51:12 PM PST by piasa
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To: piasa
My girlfriend used to live in that building on west hollywood in chicago a few years ago... the place always reeked with a curry odor...
40 posted on 11/04/2001 10:22:06 PM PST by Scalia Rules
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