12 Airline Passengers Arrested After Using Cell Phones on Plane

[Bonnie]

12 Passengers Arrested After Flight to India Returns to Amsterdam
Wednesday, August 23, 2006


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,209940,00.html

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Twelve people aboard a flight that was diverted to Amsterdam Wednesday were arrested at the airport after they displayed suspicous behavior relating to mobile phones and will be detained for three days, Dutch airport authorities told FOX News.

Dutch F-16s escorted a Northwest Airlines flight bound for India back to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Wednesday after the crew reported some passengers were behaving suspiciously, authorities said.

Several passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight NW0042 to Bombay were taken off the plane for questioning after it landed safely, airport spokeswoman Pamela Kuypers said. Others were questioned at the gate.

A U.S. passenger named Alpa, who did not wish to use her last name, told AP television reporters she had seen police handcuff and remove around 11 men of south Asian appeareance from the plane before other passengers. She said she didn't see what happened but heard from other passengers the men had aroused suspicion by getting out their mobile phones.

Katherine Terneulen, airport spokesperson, said passengers are allowed to carry their mobile phones onboard but cannot use them during the flight.

"We have the highest standards [of security]," she told FOX News.

 

[trobinett]

Now, if they would just start arresting those idiots that use cell phones while driving.

 

[Eightball]

If I'm correct here, the Dutch just release the 12 today 8-24-06. Regards, Eightballsidepocket
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1924201.cms

Air scare: All 12 detained Indians freed

[ 25 Aug, 2006 0002hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK & AGENCIES ]

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AMSTERDAM/MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: An edgy Dutch security apparatus, after creating the impression of a foiled terror plot when it arrested 12 Indian on Wednesday following the return of a Northwest Airlines flight to Amsterdam, late on Thursday night brought the curtains down on the high-voltage drama by releasing all of them.

The 12 held were all Muslims, most of them Bohras from Mumbai. Their irrational exuberance during takeoff — when they reportedly talked on mobile phones and exchanged them around — seems to have aroused the suspicion of the air marshals.

The moral of the story: there is currently zero tolerance for any out-of-line behaviour in the air. Questions are also being raised about security profiling on the basis of race and religion.

It appears the alarm was triggerred also by the fact that some among the detained dozen sported beards, wore salwar-kameez and spoke in Urdu.

In days to come, this high-profile episode is certain to generate a debate on questionable biases in terror-combat operations.

Earlier on Thursday in Amsterdam, a spokeswoman for the national anti-terrorism office, speaking for Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner, said, "So far there are no signs this was a terrorist threat".

In New Delhi, minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma told reporters that "the information we received says that they have been arrested for flight disruption and not terrorist acts".

From their names, a number of the 12 detained seem to be Bohra Muslims of Mumbai.

 

[trobinett]

So, just for fun, what do you think would of happened IF the twelve Muslim cell phone users were all lined up and SHOT?

Think anyone would be using cell phones on airplanes anytime soon?

Not me.