Global General

UK police arrest 2 passengers on plane at Heathrow

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-01-09 09:03
Large Medium Small

LONDON: British police arrested two passengers on a Dubai-bound Emirates airliner on the ground at London's Heathrow airport on Friday after verbal threats were made before the take off, police said.

Related readings:
UK police arrest 2 passengers on plane at Heathrow EU nations divided on use of airport body scanners
UK police arrest 2 passengers on plane at Heathrow Passenger says jar of honey caused California airport scare
UK police arrest 2 passengers on plane at Heathrow NJ airport cameras faulty during security breach
UK police arrest 2 passengers on plane at Heathrow Man skirts security at US airport; flights stopped

Police said the airport remained open. Sky News, quoting witnesses, said armed police with sniffer dogs boarded the plane, due to take off at around 2000 GMT and removed the passengers.

"It looks like there was some sort of verbal threat made," a police spokesman said.

Sky reported two or three young Englishmen had been taken off the plane and said police searches had not found any threat to the flight.

Airports around the world have been on high alert since a failed bombing attempt on a Detroit-bound plane last month.

"They took them away quickly and brought on some dogs to have a sniff around," passenger Cameron McLean told Sky News. "I think we are all going to have to get off and then reboard. People are just bored and want to get on with our flight."