Man held on claim bags held explosives
Source: Agencies |
May 3, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A CHINESE-American man has been detained in the Chinese mainland after falsely claiming his luggage contained explosives during a flight from Taipei to Shanghai, Taiwan police said yesterday.
Taiwan's China Airlines had to divert the plane with 293 passengers and 22 crew on board to the eastern city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province on Saturday morning after 68-year-old George Lin told the cabin crew about the purported explosives.
China Airlines spokesman Bruce Chen said no explosive was found on board the plane after it was thoroughly searched on landing in Hangzhou, where Lin was taken away for questioning by authorities.
After four hours on the ground, the plane continued on to Shanghai and landed there without further incident.
Mao Kun-yi of Taiwan's Aviation Police Office confirmed Lin's detention in Hangzhou but could not confirm news reports that Lin had made the claim about explosives in his luggage as a joke.
Lin has a US passport, but traveled to the Chinese mainland alone on his Taiwanese documents, Mao said. Lin has business interests on the mainland, he said, without elaborating.
Staff at the US Consulate in Shanghai said yesterday that they could not comment on the case or even confirm there had been an arrest without the signing of a privacy waiver.
The Chinese mainland and Taiwan began regular direct flights in 2008 after Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou moved for closer economic ties with the mainland. There are now some 270 weekly flights between the two sides.
Taiwan's China Airlines had to divert the plane with 293 passengers and 22 crew on board to the eastern city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province on Saturday morning after 68-year-old George Lin told the cabin crew about the purported explosives.
China Airlines spokesman Bruce Chen said no explosive was found on board the plane after it was thoroughly searched on landing in Hangzhou, where Lin was taken away for questioning by authorities.
After four hours on the ground, the plane continued on to Shanghai and landed there without further incident.
Mao Kun-yi of Taiwan's Aviation Police Office confirmed Lin's detention in Hangzhou but could not confirm news reports that Lin had made the claim about explosives in his luggage as a joke.
Lin has a US passport, but traveled to the Chinese mainland alone on his Taiwanese documents, Mao said. Lin has business interests on the mainland, he said, without elaborating.
Staff at the US Consulate in Shanghai said yesterday that they could not comment on the case or even confirm there had been an arrest without the signing of a privacy waiver.
The Chinese mainland and Taiwan began regular direct flights in 2008 after Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou moved for closer economic ties with the mainland. There are now some 270 weekly flights between the two sides.
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