US jet diverted in security scare
A US Airways plane
A US Airways jet on a flight from Paris to North Carolina has been diverted over security fears after a French passenger handed a note to a flight attendant saying she had a surgically implanted device.
An examination by doctors aboard the plane found that the passenger, a French citizen born in Cameroon, had no scars, an official said.
The woman was travelling alone without any checked baggage and intended to stay in the US for 10 days.
The FBI and Homeland Security Department warned airlines last summer that terrorists are considering surgically hiding bombs inside humans to evade airport security.
Two F-15 fighters scrambled to escort Flight 787 with 179 passengers and nine crew members to Bangor International Airport, Maine, where it landed safely.
The passenger was detained and the Boeing 767 was cleared several hours later to continue.
The Transportation Security Administration issued a statement saying it was aware of “a passenger who exhibited suspicious behaviour during the flight.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the flight was diverted to (Bangor) where it was met by law enforcement. The passenger in question is being interviewed by US Customs and Border Protection officers,” said a TSA spokesman.
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