Breaking: Suspicious Packages Found on US-Bound Cargo Planes

US News • Views: 6,072

A suspicious package discovered on a UPS plane in Britain has put two US airports on high alert.

(CNN) — At least two U.S. airports were on high alert Friday after investigators found a suspicious package on a plane in the United Kingdom the night before, a law enforcement source with detailed knowledge of the investigation said.

The suspicious package, which contained a “manipulated” toner cartridge, tested negative for explosive material, the source said, but it led to heightened inspection of arriving cargo flights in Newark, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a UPS truck in New York.

The package had white powder on it as well as wires and a circuit board, a law-enforcement source said; someone shipped it from Sana, Yemen to Chicago, Illinois.

A similar package has been discovered in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, the source said.

UPDATE at 10/29/10 10:30:07 am:

The packages were apparently destined for synagogues in the Chicago area.

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37 comments
1 rwmofo  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:31:11am

Hmmm. Who ships individual toner cartridges? Seems like security training will be a continual refresher course.

2 Kragar (Antichrist )  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:31:30am

Well, that doesn’t sound good.

3 Kragar (Antichrist )  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:32:04am

re: #1 rwmofo

Hmmm. Who ships individual toner cartridges? Seems like security training will be a continual refresher course.

Bastard Operator from Hell would.

4 Big Steve  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:32:30am

If that is true….from Yemen….destined for synagogues….we are unfortunately going to have to go on High Geller Alert as well.

5 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:32:30am

re: #1 rwmofo

if they were for office copiers/printers the cartridges are quite large and usually packaged individually.

6 Feline Fearless Leader  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:35:18am

re: #5 Dreggas

if they were for office copiers/printers the cartridges are quite large and usually packaged individually.

Heck, standard HP6 office printer cartridges were fairly large. I recall the boxes being 3”x6”x12” or so.

7 Walter L. Newton  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:36:38am

re: #1 rwmofo

Hmmm. Who ships individual toner cartridges? Seems like security training will be a continual refresher course.

Looks like travelers will have to be putting thier toner cartridges in a 1 gallon zip lock bag and placing them in the plastic tubs at security.

8 Stanley Sea  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:37:09am

from breaking news twitter

FedEx spokesman: Suspicious package that originated in Yemen confiscated in Dubai [Link: on.cnn.com…]

9 lawhawk  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:40:10am

One of the planes has been cleared in Newark, but the investigation continues at Philly and in NYC where a UPS truck was being searched, along with the UK.

More here - and at CNN, which is now saying that President Obama has ordered heightened security and synagogues in the Chicago area were warned to watch for suspicious packages:

Security officials called the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago on Friday to urge the organization to be on alert for suspicious packages, a spokeswoman for the group said.

“We were notified about this earlier this morning,” spokeswoman Linda Hasse said. “We are taking appropriate precautions and we are advising local synagogues to do the same.”

In the last 24 hours, security officials received a tip from an unnamed ally that packages coming from Yemen were destined for synagogues in Chicago, Illinois, according to information given to CNN contributor Fran Townsend.

10 RogueOne  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:40:13am

I thought someone said the NY Times reported there weren’t any explosives. Did I misread something?

11 lawhawk  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:42:29am

re: #10 RogueOne

One of the planes - in Newark - was cleared of suspicion. It merely contained reams of paper. No explosives were found.

The package found in East Midlands Airport in the UK contained a toner cartridge that was manipulated to appear dangerous with wiring and a white substance, but no explosives were found.

Still haven’t seen the Philly airplanes cleared yet.

12 Charles Johnson  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:44:09am

Preliminary tests have found no explosives. Officials have announced that they believe Al Qaeda in Yemen is behind it.

Possibly a dry run, to test the feasibility of this kind of attack.

And again, I have to note that Al Qaeda’s ability to attack America is almost nonexistent, if they’re reduced to shipping mail bombs through UPS — and they even get caught at that, while still in the dry run stage.

13 rwmofo  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:44:12am

I was thinking about going to see Red this afternoon. Has anyone see this movie yet? Admittedly, I hope my GF looks like Helen Mirren when she’s 65 (still have a few years to go).

14 Kragar (Antichrist )  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:46:23am

re: #13 rwmofo

I was thinking about going to see Red this afternoon. Has anyone see this movie yet? Admittedly, I hope my GF looks like Helen Mirren when she’s 65 (still have a few years to go).

Saw it. Good movie. John Malkovitch was great. Plus Brian Cox played a great character.

15 efuseakay  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:49:11am

re: #12 Charles

Not true! We have Al Qaeda as President! YEARGH!!!!!!!

16 rwmofo  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:50:01am

re: #12 Charles

Preliminary tests have found no explosives. Officials have announced that they believe Al Qaeda in Yemen is behind it.

Possibly a dry run, to test the feasibility of this kind of attack.

And again, I have to note that Al Qaeda’s ability to attack America is almost nonexistent, if they’re reduced to shipping mail bombs through UPS — and they even get caught at that, while still in the dry run stage.

Agreed, but once they’re inside our borders, stopping these guys becomes more of a challenge.

17 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:50:22am

The synagogue that I attend does not even have a computer in its office, much less a laser printer that uses a toner cartridge.

18 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:51:55am

re: #12 Charles

I am starting to think they may be raising the noise level, so to speak, rather than dry run. Just disrupting air cargo is a plus for them. Cause a stir, strike in the quiet period after.

19 Varek Raith  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:53:51am

re: #18 Rightwingconspirator

I am starting to think they may be raising the noise level, so to speak, rather than dry run. Just disrupting air cargo is a plus for them. Cause a stir, strike in the quiet period after.

The wingnuts are going to just love this. Just days before the election, which AQ is no doubt aware.

20 RogueOne  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:53:56am

…and we all know why they picked UPS instead of FedEx or the USPS.

21 Wozza Matter?  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:54:31am

re: #19 Varek Raith

The wingnuts are going to just love this. Just days before the election, which AQ is no doubt aware.

“elect republicans to keep you safe - they kept you safe longer than Obama………”

22 Big Steve  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:55:47am

re: #12 Charles

Preliminary tests have found no explosives. Officials have announced that they believe Al Qaeda in Yemen is behind it.

Possibly a dry run, to test the feasibility of this kind of attack.

And again, I have to note that Al Qaeda’s ability to attack America is almost nonexistent, if they’re reduced to shipping mail bombs through UPS — and they even get caught at that, while still in the dry run stage.

hope this isn’t a head fake.

23 blueraven  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:55:58am

re: #20 RogueOne

…and we all know why they picked UPS instead of FedEx or the USPS.

Why? I dont know. Really.

24 Varek Raith  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:57:08am

re: #23 blueraven

Why? I dont know. Really.

FedEx sucks.
Seriously.
They suck.
;)

25 RogueOne  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:57:37am

re: #23 blueraven

Why? I dont know. Really.

Isn’t it obvious? They’re obviously pro-union, honor among thieves and all that, so they couldn’t use FedEx but they wanted the packages to actually get there so they couldn’t use USPS either.

26 RogueOne  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:58:06am

Sarc tags aren’t actually necessary are they?

27 Varek Raith  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:58:22am

re: #26 RogueOne

Sarc tags aren’t actually necessary are they?

Yes they are.
/

28 blueraven  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:59:13am

re: #26 RogueOne

Sarc tags aren’t actually necessary are they?

Only if they are sincere sarc tags. Otherwise no.

29 lawhawk  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 10:59:52am

re: #22 Big Steve

Doesn’t have to be a head fake.

Each time law enforcement has to go ahead and investigate a suspicious package, it costs time and money. Each one has to be treated as the real deal until they either render the threat inert or find it to be harmless.

I recall that it costs on average $10,000 per incident. They add up over time… straining resources, particularly in agencies that don’t have the budgets.

On the flip side, these kinds of events manage to keep law enforcement on their toes and keep the bomb squads busy with training for the real deal.

30 researchok  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 11:01:22am

re: #29 lawhawk

Doesn’t have to be a head fake.

Each time law enforcement has to go ahead and investigate a suspicious package, it costs time and money. Each one has to be treated as the real deal until they either render the threat inert or find it to be harmless.

I recall that it costs on average $10,000 per incident. They add up over time… straining resources, particularly in agencies that don’t have the budgets.

On the flip side, these kinds of events manage to keep law enforcement on their toes and keep the bomb squads busy with training for the real deal.

Not to mention the diversionary aspect of these kinds of events.

31 Varek Raith  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 11:02:43am

I don’t suppose they left a return address on the packages???
Just send ‘em a tomahawk courtesy of the Navy.
/

32 rwdflynavy  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 11:04:15am

re: #25 RogueOne

Isn’t it obvious? They’re obviously pro-union, honor among thieves and all that, so they couldn’t use FedEx but they wanted the packages to actually get there so they couldn’t use USPS either.

What can Brown do for you?
//

33 RogueOne  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 11:04:25am

re: #31 Varek Raith

Every time they freak out like this it turns out to be something silly. How many times are they going to blow up some guys lunch or briefcase before they calm down a little?

34 Varek Raith  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 11:05:37am

re: #33 RogueOne

Every time they freak out like this it turns out to be something silly. How many times are they going to blow up some guys lunch or briefcase before they calm down a little?

That depends on what you got for lunch.

35 Big Steve  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 11:06:30am

re: #31 Varek Raith

I don’t suppose they left a return address on the packages???
Just send ‘em a tomahawk courtesy of the Navy.
/

If they were sent Fed Ex…..there actually is coding that would pinpoint the sender….afterall Fed Ex does get paid by the sender.

36 Big Steve  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 11:07:48am

re: #33 RogueOne

Every time they freak out like this it turns out to be something silly. How many times are they going to blow up some guys lunch or briefcase before they calm down a little?

I actually hope never…..I would rather some guys bologne sandwich takes one for the team rather than one slip through.

37 nobomanohow  Fri, Oct 29, 2010 5:47:23pm

Got to be them Lutherans I reckon behind this…..oy….


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