12 arrested on Northwest flight out of Amsterdam
 

12 arrested after Northwest Airlines turned back
Passengers 'looked into plastic bags, passed cell phones'

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (CNN) -- Dutch police said Wednesday that 12 passengers were in custody after a Northwest Airlines flight bound for Mumbai, India, returned to Amsterdam when several people on board aroused concern.

No formal charges have been laid, police said.

A U.S. government official said that some of the passengers had pulled out cell phones during the flight, and that some appeared to be trying to pass the cell phones to other passengers.

In addition, some passengers unfastened their seatbelts while the light requiring they be fastened was still illuminated, the official said.

That was enough to cause U.S. air marshals aboard the flight to break their cover. Fight attendants ordered the passengers to heed the orders of the marshals, the official added.

An airline source in Amsterdam said the passengers who were arrested were looking into plastic bags and were busy with their cell phones.

The spokesman said the 12 -- whose identities have not been made public -- face preliminary charges, but did not elaborate.

Flight 42 returned to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport after "a couple of passengers displayed behavior of concern," according to Northwest Airlines.

"Northwest is cooperating with the appropriate government officials," the company's statement said.

The flight, which originated in Northwest's main hub of Minneapolis-St. Paul a day earlier, landed at Schiphol around noon (6 a.m. ET), about half an hour after it had left, TSA said.

There were 149 passengers on board, Northwest said. Flight 42 has been canceled and will be rescheduled for Thursday.

A spokeswoman for Schiphol Airport said the pilot had made the request to return to Amsterdam.

"A number of them behaved, in the opinion of the crew, in a suspicious manner," the Defense Ministry told The Associated Press. "As a result, the captain asked to return to Schiphol."

Security has been heightened at airports worldwide after revelation of an alleged plot to blow up planes traveling across the Atlantic using liquid explosives. The alleged plot, which was uncovered by British authorities on August 10, involved flights from Britain to the United States.

As a matter of security, the Federal Air Marshal Service does not confirm which flights are patrolled by air marshals.

In general, federal air marshals do not identify themselves to passengers if they believe the crew can handle a situation without assistance.

-- Journalist Marijn Tebbens and CNN's Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report

Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Ok someone in security at the Amsterdam airport was obviously asleep at the wheel to allow those items on the plane!:mad:

As far as I know, cell phones and plastic bags are still allowed on planes. :shrug: However, we don't know what was IN the plastic bags.

I am still curious on the liquid restrictions. What about bodily fluids?

I'm pretty sure phones have been banned. NOt 100% sure but I think that's the case. In any event, In think one of the biggest problems is the fact that when you see these people do test runs through security, they get wuite a few things past them that arent allowed! Not good.

The flight actually originated at good ol' Minneapolis/St. Paul International.

Brownies, cakes, brown bars :laugh:

Seriously, this is no luaghing matter, but when I first heard of this, I thought - Lord Child they were high as a kite when they got on the plane and then they showed out :cool:

That's true. But they couldve boarded in Amsterdam. BUt yeah, they couldve gotten on here. CREEPY!:distress:

Cell phones are definitely still allowed. I thought the only difference now was they have to be turned off completely before boarding, and stay turned off. No more yacking before the door is closed.

:laugh: Oooh, pretty colors in my plastic bag! Look how the light reflects - I made a prism! Check this out dude! Wait, let me see your phone - look what happens w/ the blue light on your phone! Cooooool!!!!

I know - I was laughing alone in my office thinking about that :laugh:

Ew. :laugh:

From now on you have to be near dehydrated to get onto the plane. Trips will now come with a free voucher for IV services at a nearby hopsital ;)

If your bladder is full, you must drink your own pee to prove that it's not something else.

Well, I guess my curiousity is based on demonstrations that were conducted last week in that when something wet was placed against the reported powder the "terrorists" would use something every explosive happened. So then they restricted liquids and I have been curious ever since if they could simply wiz on the powder for the same reaction.

Maybe a cath applied to each passenger with a locking cap? Maybe a jaw clamp in case they think to spittle.
Of course, Lindsey would just have to look at the substance to make it wet! ;) :lol:

Amsterdam and security. There are two words that NEVER will combine. Sorry, but our people will NEVER get used to strict rules. We simply can't live up with them. And to be honest, in the long run we will always be proud of that too. Dangerous? Maybe. Or even: Sure. But the feeling of freedom is priceless, naivity is our nature.