Sudanese man remanded in custody over Heathrow ammunition
LONDON, Jan 16 (AFP) — A Sudanese national went before a London court charged with carrying live ammunition on a flight from Washington to London’s Heathrow airport, court officials said.
Wassila Alhibr Alwasila, 45, was arrested at a transit lounge security check point on Wednesday after he came off a Virgin Atlantic flight from Dulles airport in the US capital.
He was held under the Terrorism Act 2000, but the charges he faced on Friday dealt with the ammunition — reportedly five bullets of two types — that were allegedly found in his possession.
Appearing in Bow Street magistrates court, Alwasila, assisted by an Arabic interpreter, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth before he was remanded in custody by judge Caroline Tubbs.
The bearded defendant, who wore a blue checked shirt and khaki pants, was told to reappear in an unspecified criminal court on February 13, a court official told AFP.
His arrest called into question the level of security at Dulles, one of the biggest US airports, less than a week after the US national terrorist threat level was lowered from elevated to high.
Alwasila faces three charges altogether: one for carrying ammunition, another for carrying “prohibited ammunition”, and a third regarding the “possession of dangerous articles on an aeroplane”, a police spokeswoman said.
She refused to confirm a BBC report that he had been carrying bullets in the pockets of his coat.
When he was detained, airport operator BAA said the Sudanese national was in transit for the Gulf state of Dubai.
Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, was itself on a heightened state of alert throughout the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, as US officials feared an attack similar to those of September 11, 2001.
In a statement on Wednesday, Virgin Atlantic said the seized ammunition “did not pose a threat to our aircraft”.
However, it all but accused US authorities of letting the passenger board its Flight VS 022 at Dulles with prohibited items on his person.
“Screening of passengers at Washington Dulles airport is the responsibility of the Transportation Security Administration,” a branch of the US Department of Homeland Security, it pointed out.
No less than four British Airways flights to Washington and Riyadh were cancelled on government advice in the first days of January, amid fears of an impending terrorist strike.
The increased state of alert coincided with a controversial British government decision to start putting armed plainclothes sky marshals on selected flights.
Alwasila’s name was released by London’s Metropolitan Police overnight Thursday as Alwasila Alhibr Wassila, but this was revised to Wassila Alhibr Alwasila in the court on Friday.