(MUSLIM) Man arrested at Paris airport

BBC News ^ | December 30, 2002 | BBC News

[MadIvan]

Police have arrested a baggage handler at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport, after two automatic weapons, plastic explosives and a detonator were found in his car.

The man, who is reportedly of Algerian origin, was arrested late on Saturday after a tip-off from a member of the public who saw a weapon in a car boot at the airport.

Other members of the man's family have been taken in for questioning, and the man himself can be held for up to four days without charge.

Paris police have made several arrests in the past two weeks of suspected Islamic militants who, the authorities says, were planning an attack on the Russian embassy.

Family arrests

The man is reportedly a 27-year-old of Algerian origin, who lives in the northern Parisian suburb of Bondy.

He has no criminal record, say police.

As a baggage handler, he has security clearance for several areas of Charles de Gaulle airport, one of Europe's busiest.

Anti-terrorist officers have been brought in, but only as observers at present.

The man's father, two brothers and a family friend were also arrested, after the man's flat was searched.

An automatic weapon, a machine gun, five plastic explosives and two detonators were found in his car, according to police.

Security effort

Police said before Christmas that they found bomb-making equipment at least one of the addresses raided in the Paris suburbs.

In total, nine arrests have been made since 16 December, when four people were arrested in the Paris suburb of La Courneuve.

All those arrested are said to be of Algerian or Moroccan origin.

The arrests stem from an investigation into possible connections between Islamic militants in Europe and Chechnya.

Fearing a possible attack over the Christmas and New Year holiday period, the French Government has ordered an extra 1,000 police and troops on to the streets of Paris.

[MadIvan]

Kudos to the vigiliant person who spotted the weapons. Wonder what he had planned. Glad we're not going to see those plans to fruition.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[rs79bm]

Police have arrested a baggage handler at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport, after two automatic weapons, plastic explosives and a detonator were found in his car.

Are you serious?!?

[Dog]

Ivan I need all the info you can give me and Miss Marple on a

Shiek Omar Bakri Mohammed.

Let me ping you to something.

[a_Turk]

Remind me not to fly through any EU city...

I thought LAX was lax :^D

[Angelus Errare]

And this is the outfit that your people want to join?

You sure we can't convince you guys to recreate the Ottoman Empire?

[Dog]

They find all of this in his car and they didn't give his name........hmmmmmmm!

[MadIvan]

Are you serious?!?

As bad as the BBC can be, they're not given to hyperbole about such things.

Regards, Ivan

[Sungirl]

I thought France was against our Terrorist hunts.

[a_Turk]

>> Are you serious?!?

No surprize..

The chickens will come home to roost for these guys soon... How many did the Frenchies napalm in Algeria way back when (don't utter the obvious "not neearly 'nuff")?

All I've gotto say to this is "whoa Nelly!"

[Dog Gone]

I was thinking this was probably another story blown completely out of proportion until I got to the part about the plastic explosives.

[mware]

We've got 5 on the loose here in the states it seems. Got in via our Northern border.

[Dog]

Something bad is coming...

[mware]

Any word on where he was planning to travel to?

[a_Turk]

>>And this is the outfit that your people want to join?

Not me Angel!

>>You sure we can't convince you guys to recreate the Ottoman Empire?

How? Where's the money? Plus there are about 40 states who are deathly afraid of such a development...

The Ottoman Empire is history, and deservedly so. Today it's all about healthy economics, in the absence of which no empire may survive:)

[Dog]

Martha......come on....:-)

Here!

[Cato the Censor]

Oh my God! France is full of terrorists masquerading as Swedish grandmothers.How could this guy ever be a terrorist-He's a Muslim which is a religion of love according to PBS.

[Arkinsaw]

But boos to the unvigilant person who hired this guy.

[aculeus]

This and the FBI alert suggest something big is planned for the New Year.

[TopDog2]

I'm getting sick of the police profiling someone just because they happen to be a muslim with plastic explosives and detonators!! Can't we all just get along?????????????

< /sarcasm>