DutchNews.nl - Schiphol terror suspects released on lack of evidence

Schiphol terror suspects released on lack of evidence

Wednesday 01 September 2010

Two men arrested at Schiphol airport on Monday on suspicion of involvement in terrorism have been released, the public prosecution department said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

The two were picked up on the request of the US authorities after suspicious items were found in one of their luggage.

They were on a transit flight to Yemen.

In a statement, the department said there was no evidence the men had been involved in any criminal act. Tests in the US had shown no traces of any explosive and the items found in the luggage were no longer considered suspect, the statement said.

With no evidence of wrongdoing, there is no reason to keep the men in custody and they are no longer considered suspects, the statement said.

According to Nos tv, the two men may fly out to Dubai tonight.

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Readers' comments

A mobile phone taped to a bottle of water does sound like a fake bomb. If indeed they were testing the security of the airport then the 'justice' department have just done a very very stupid thing. Something other people could end up paying for... with their lives.

By Pip | September 2, 2010 8:12 AM

Of course it was a test of security. From the terrorists viewpoint, it failed, and from airport security's viewpoint, security will now very likely be tightened even further.

By Black Sheep | September 2, 2010 9:30 AM

The mainstream media made this chain of innocent events into an unnecessary and slanderous Int'l distraction. Much of what was reported as fact -was in fact- not factual at all. The airline industry in the US is configured in a way that makes the logistics of passenger air travel a multi-segment nightmare with people missing flight connections quite often. Chances are, had these gentlemen been of a different ethnic profile, the same set of events would never have occurred in the media. Kudos to Dutch authorities for keeping tight lips about the identities, etc. of these innocent people. It is unfortunate for these innocent men that the US authorities did not do the same.

By LuvHolland | September 2, 2010 5:37 PM

Thanks to the US custom authorities a loud and clear message has been sent to those who would try to find new and divisive ways to thwart airport security... the message being that we are staying vigilant.

By Quince | September 3, 2010 11:02 AM

Read up on the explanations here and see how easy it is to jump to the wrong conclusions..

http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/dutch-news/us-should-apologise-for-yemenis--arrest-yemen-ambassador_93648.html

By Saladin | September 3, 2010 11:43 AM

@Black Sheep: The dummy run failed, but the men were set free to go devise another plan.

@LuvHolland: You do know 'innocent' people don't often create replica bombs attached to homemade detonators and take them onboard planes?

By Pip | September 3, 2010 11:51 AM

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