The twelve people who were removed from a Northwest Airlines aircraft that returned to Amsterdam will be released, according to Dutch authorities. They cite insufficient evidence that the men were engaged in terrorism.
HAARLEM, Netherlands – Prosecutors said Thursday they found no evidence of a terrorist threat aboard a Northwest Airlines flight to India that returned to Amsterdam, and they are releasing all 12 passengers arrested after the emergency landing.
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.
U.S. air marshals on the flight also were suspicious of the men, U.S. officials and passengers said.
"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.
The incident reflected the jitters that persist in the airline industry in the two weeks since British police revealed an alleged plot to blow up several U.S.-bound airliners simultaneously using bombs crafted from ordinary consumer goods.
In New Delhi, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said he had no comment.
Well, if you want to a) test responses or b) desensitize people to odd behavior, how would you go about it? How about having a number of people act oddly on several airlines? Make sure they have nothing on them that can get them arrested, but just have them act up. Everything the witnesses describe was highly abnormal behavior for average passengers.
Did you ever, ever travelled with gipsies in one car of the train?
What you would consider highly abnormal behaviour for average passengers is their norm.
Highly abnormal behaviour for average american passengers.
Passing around cell phones? Talking loud?
You know, cultural differences and all.
The things I read about them, is a normal, everyday gipsy familiy on the train or the tram.