Sudanese live ammunition suspect stays in custody in Britain

LONDON, Feb 13 (AFP) — A Sudanese man charged last month with carrying live ammunition on a flight from Washington to London’s Heathrow airport was remanded in custody by a British court.

Bow Street magistrates’ court in central London confirmed that one of the three charges against Alwasila Alhibr Wassila — “possession of dangerous articles on an aeroplane” — had been dropped.

He still faces a charge of carrying ammunition, and another of carrying “prohibited ammunition onto an aeroplane”.

The 45-year-old Sudanese is to appear in court again on March 12, when he is expected to formally plead guilty or not guilty.

Wassila was arrested at Heathrow on January 14 after he had come off a Virgin Atlantic flight from Dulles airport in Washington and while he was in transit for a flight to the Gulf state of Dubai.

The incident called into question the level of security at Dulles, one of the biggest US airports.