Twelve held after plane diversion
The air traffic control tower at Schiphol airport
Also In The News
|
Mali international Mahamadou Diarra, a player who Manchester United have tracked, has completed a £17. |  |
Wednesday, 23, Aug 2006 06:49
Dutch police have confirmed 12 passengers have been arrested after a US flight bound for Mumbai, India, was forced to divert to a Netherlands airport.
The Northwest airlines flight, carrying 149 passengers, was in German airspace when the pilot decided to land at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, escorted by two Dutch fighter planes.
Although the authorities are reluctant to divulge details of the arrests, a representative for the US airline said that the plane was diverted "when a couple of passengers displayed behaviour of concern".
A police spokesman is quoted by Dutch news agency ANP as saying: "A certain number of passengers are being heard as witnesses to get a clearer picture of what happened."
However, Dutch officials have indicated they have no plans to raise the country's terror alert system, which currently stands at the second highest level of "substantial".
International air travel has been subject to heightened security restrictions since an alleged plot to destroy transatlantic flights earlier this month.
Eleven people have so far been charged by Scotland Yard in relation to the alleged terror plans, while a further nine are currently still in custody.