Russian plane searched at New York airport

[JR]

NEW YORK (Oct. 23) - Federal agents met an airliner from Moscow at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday after receiving a tip that it may have radioactive material on board, law enforcement officials said.

''The only thing I can tell you is that it's because we're intending to interview one of the passengers on the plane,'' FBI spokesman Joe Valiquette said.

A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that investigators received information about some sort of radioactive material and ordered the plane to stop at a distance from passenger terminals.

''They had advance information, of possible radioactive materials, for us to be looking at this flight,'' the official said.

The official declined to describe the nature of the information, saying that investigators were allowing the plane's 176 passengers off the flight in small groups.

Valiquette said there were no reports of injuries. He would not give details on the man being interviewed. He said the Aeroflot plane had landed at about 2 p.m.

Agents from the FBI, Customs and the Port Authority police were meeting the plane.

Further details were not immediately available.

[don1]

... in response to Russian plane searched at New York airpo..., posted by JR on Oct 23, 2002


Here's an update on that story :

NEW YORK ,(OCT 23) - An Aeroflot aircraft from Russia was searched at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York today for possible radioactive material but none was found , law enforcement officials said .

They said the flight from Moscow with 176 passengers on board landed about 2 p.m. in New York and was investigated after Russian authorities called U.S. authorities and said an individual on the plane should be searched .

"Based on information that we received earlier today , we have an interest in interviewing a passenger on that plane , " FBI spokesman Jim Margolin said . " We believe this should be resolved within a couple of hours . "

One suspect was taken into custody , said Gordon Johndroe , spokesman for the White House Homeland Security Department .

"Information was received that led federal authorities to search the plane . The plane has been cleared and released to Aeroflot for use . All runways are operational , " Johndroe said in Washington .

Agents from the FBI , US Customs and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey met the plane . Passengers were taken off the Boeing 767 as the search was conducted .

One official said the suspect was being questioned about possible smuggling and it appeared unlikely to be terrorist related .

That was taken off the abcnews website .....