Ryanair passenger found with pipe bomb in luggage was allowed to fly again days later

Most things make me angry on a Monday. A 'mood line' charting my posts from Monday to Friday would be a steep upward line.

This one made me angry. As always we don't have the whole story, we only have the media's interpretation of the events, a small simple glimpse into what could be a very complicated story.

A PASSENGER who was boarding a Ryanair flight with a pipe bomb in his hand luggage was allowed to continue his journey days later, a court heard on Monday.

Nadeem Mulhammed (43) was arrested by police on suspicion of terrorism after "batteries wrapped in brown tape" was found in his bag.

I ndependent
To me this is enough to be classed as highly suspicious, he's half way to Guantanamo Bay in my eyes.

Airport security swabbed the confiscated device but found no trace of explosives,... ...

I'd like to know more here, are the security forces trained in what explosives look like? Did they take apart the device in a controlled environment to qualify their decision as to what it contained?

...so concluded it was not dangerous. Muhammad was questioned by police and said the device could have been put into his bag by somebody else, possibly his wife.

He missed his flight, but was not arrested, and was able to board another flight to Italy a few days later on 5 February. “At that stage nobody had realised this was a real device and the defendant was allowed to go on his way,” said Jonathan Sandiford, for the prosecution.

Guardian
"Nobody had realised" - This just spells amateurism to me. I actually feel like putting my head in my hands for a minute then getting up and grabbing these useless airport professionals and bouncing their heads along the tarmac - because if our friend Muhammed had got on board with his device that's what would be happening to the heads of the passengers on board.

Mr Muhammed, wearing a checked shirt, spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address with the help of an interpreter in a hearing at Westminster magistrates' court in London.

Katie McCreath, defending, indicated that he would be pleading not guilty to the charge at a future hearing.

Telegraph
Not guilty? Can we have a statement from Muhammed's wife then please?

The court has heard that experts found the device contained nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose and could have been detonated if wires protruding from it were joined together.

Muhammad broke down in tears during his evidence when asked about his wife, who was sitting in the public gallery.

The court heard he had moved to Bury in about 2016 and made regular trips to Italy, where he had a business which supplied workers to a factory making alloy wheels.

He was due to travel to Pakistan for a family wedding on February 13, the day after his arrest.

Local News


Incompetence within procedures and processes which must be followed - the guy should have been held somewhere until the whole truth had been discovered and the occurrence completely investigated.

Frustration of not being able to enact common sense actions in the face of red tape - if the guy has been pulled previously he should be banned from flying for at least a year if not forever, planted or not!

Deceit - someone is deceiving someone here, be it his wife, his brother or himself.


He could be totally innocent. But why the hell is anybody taking a chance and letting him board a plane at all???

a reply to: and14263

(redacted)


So they let him travel to the same place anyway? Lesson learned, travel to destination first, then fabricate 'wedding gift'.

a reply to: intrptr
Sorry for the disjointed and poorly written OP - I'm up against a deadline and shouldn't be on here posting today.

Honestly, I believe the PC culture [ for want of a better term ] has made common sense a distant 2nd to...well...common sense. We're going so far out of our way to not appear racist or Anti Islam or Anti Brown People, that this guy was given the benefit of the doubt, when the device he had should have seen him in custody, extensively questioned and held till they knew for sure exactly what it was. If he had been held at the time, no doubt there would have been plenty saying he was targeted just because of his name, religion or color, when actual common sense should tell anyone that, if you see a device consisting of 2 batteries with wires hanging out, it's a good bet you should maybe not let a person on a plane with it.

FBI is on a huge manhunt for the "Terrorist Attack" on the Mosque in Minnesota. Let that sink in... Hell even the Governor is personally getting involved because his head is so far in PC, I am even sure they would kiss a muslim's ass if it would make them feel better...

www.nbcnews.com...


But let it be a Christian Church that this happened to and no news story or even a in depth investigation into it. #ing hate how PC people have become.

a reply to: DAVID64
Previous assertions aside I was approaching this from an 'incompetence of the system' point of view. But you are correct, it seems in this case the incompetence within the system has come from the PC push.

And yet throughout Europe in the height of holiday season, passengers are being subjected to inordinately long delays at passport control due to "extra security measures" of up to 4hrs or more...nothing to do with the UK & Brexit oh no of course it isn't.

I'm due to fly to Palma Majorca for a cruise in 3 weeks and have been told to get to the airport at least 4hrs prior to departure and on the way back at least 6hrs to get through Palma customs due to these more rigorous controls. Pretty sodding pointless when incidents like this happen and I feel certain happen regularly due to understaffing and lack of training

a reply to: and14263
One of the first questions they ask you at check in "did you pack your own case". to which you answer "yes", because if you answer "no" they WILL pull you and make you empty your case.
Now he must have said yes to be let through and by that answer HE takes responsibility of everything in his possession, so a statement that he didn't know or who put something inside his case means he lied in the first place.
Now the biggest question that needs to be answered was just what was the reason for carrying the device. If no-one comes forward to admit they put the device in his case then by extension he must be responsible and if he knew or not must be punished as if he did know what he was doing.

a reply to: crayzeed

I am a frequent flyer between London and Vienna. Well frequent, at least once per month. They never ever asked me if I packed my bags personally. Asked me about the list they have up at check in if I have anything in there from the list. This is easy jet, I might be wrong with the other airlines.

At security the only Q i get if is there any laptop etc. Again nothing about who packed my carry on.

a reply to: szino9Then the airline is very lax. Every time and I mean every time I've been abroad the same question "did you pack your own case, has it ever left your sight".
At security they'll ask you the standard questions because at that point you are an innocent traveler. But wait, what happens when your hand luggage goes through the x-ray machine, they've no need to ask you they can see themselves what's in your case, (I would surmise that's when they found this device) and if you had anything that looked suspicious they would pull you for an explanation and if you couldn't come up with anything reasonable they will take you in.
Just because you travel regularly is no protection for you as one of these times you'll have something that you will think is quite innocuous but to them it's dangerous, then you'll learn what happens.
Been there,done it, got the t-shirt.

I am not sure how to even process this one...

I am not a fan of TSA, but I like to think our law enforcement would do something a little more substantial than let him fly to his destination a few days later.

One time when I was going through security, they were swabbing everything for traces of explosives and whatever. They swabbed my laptop and were confused because it tested positive for explosive residue. They let me through. We live next to quarry, so every explosion usually leads to a wispy mushroom cloud of red dust drifting over our house.

originally posted by: stormcell
One time when I was going through security, they were swabbing everything for traces of explosives and whatever. They swabbed my laptop and were confused because it tested positive for explosive residue. They let me through. We live next to quarry, so every explosion usually leads to a wispy mushroom cloud of red dust drifting over our house.

LOL i worked for years as a mine blaster and i would have had to buy everything brand new just to fly even shoes.
I loaded ANFO 5 day a week with Pneumatic loader and was covered with explosive residue.

Even farmers can test positive for explosive residue because Ammonium nitrate is used widely in fertilizers and explosives..

Just walk on the wrong lawn after someone has fertilized it and you can test positive for explosive residue.