No sign of terror threat in Netherlands plane diversion
The interrogation of 12 men who were removed from a US plane after they aroused the suspicions of air marshals and crew produced no evidence of terrorism, the Dutch justice minister said today.
“So far there are no signs that this was a terrorist threat,” said Judith Sluiter, a spokeswoman for Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner.
Sluiter declined to say why the men remained under arrest.
The investigation of yesterday’s drama was continuing. Authorities have three days to bring the suspects to court to seek further detention or to release them.
A US government official said crew members and air marshals on board the Northwest DC-10 bound for Mumbai, India, saw the passengers trying to use mobile phones and passing the phones among themselves while the plane was taking off.
“It was behaviour that average passengers wouldn’t do,” the official said.
The plane turned back to Amsterdam shortly after passing into German air space and two Dutch F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to escort it on its flight back to Amsterdam.
