A Pakistani man was arrested at Karachi airport after scanners found batteries and circuitry in his shoe – had he been planning to set off a bomb on a plane?
Faiz Mohammad (30) was taken into custody after security checks discovered the electronics, which included a switch. He had been intending to board a flight to Oman.
But no explosives were found on him, according to an airport security spokesman, who said the incident was nevertheless a cause for concern.
With the material in his shoe, the engineer could easily have ignited an explosive device on the plane, the spokesman added.
According to investigators, Mohammad said he bought the shoes at a market in Karachi. He claimed to know nothing about the batteries or electrical circuit.
Authorities confirmed that he had been intending to fly to Muscat with Thai Airways.
Mohammad said that he comes from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan. It is a region which is home to numerous radical Islamic Taliban and militant Islamists.
But Mohammad has denied any links to terrorism. He claimed he was a civil engineer and had a diploma from a training centre in Karachi. He was working in Muscat and wanted to go into business for himself there.
The latest incident comes just days after Faisal Shadzad caused panic in the US. The Pakistani, who has an American passport, is accused of trying to set off a car bomb in New York’s Times Square.
In December 2001, just months after the 9/11 attacks, Brit Richard Reid tried to ignite a bomb on a plane using matches. He had hidden the explosive device in one of his shoes.
But he was overpowered by crew and passengers and arrested at Miami airport. He claimed to be a member of al-Qaeda and was sentenced to life in prison.
Bild.com
