bombers rejoice

They have just been handed plausible deniability to give to a jury, well the 87.5% that get caught anyway.

Well, if I can't be first, can I be next?

Not the first time?

Wasn't there a story here a while back where the security lads somewhere planted a load of Bolivia's finest in passenger luggage for their sniffer dogs to find, only to find that their sniffer dogs weren't up to sniff, er, snuff.

Japan IIRC?

Did I read right?

Slovakia informs Irish govt they planted explosives in Mr Sparks' bags,

and the Irish arrest him for terrorism...?

Just where was the breakdown in communication?

Ludicrous

This has to be the most irresponsible behaviour I've ever heard of. Can you imagine what would have happened if the poor, innocent 'mule' had been traveling to China, The Middle East or America, for example. He'd be imprisoned and possibly excecuted within days, not just arrested.

This is truly sickening and the 'authorities' in question need a boot up the arse for this!

Why was he arrested?

I don't understand why this guy was arrested if the Irish police had been told about the explosives by the people who planted them originally? Surely illegal arrest?

Damn

As if we haven't got enough to worry about with yet more security theatre around pervie new body scanners.

Now the fuckers are PLANTING stuff on us...

This doesn't add up

The police raided his flat because the Slovakian authorities contacted them. But then they arrested him and his government had to convince them he was innocent. So what had they told the Irish when they initially contacted them - that he was a terrorist?

This is not the first time this has happened

Basically, in August 1995 those wacky Dutch security officials (same ones who let the Nigerian bomber through with exploding underpants) planted a bomb in the luggage of a passenger as part of a security exercise, and failed to retrieve it. The explosives got onto a real flight, crossed the Atlantic, and actually only were discovered because the Prof (Paul Holloway) complained to the airline about his luggage being damaged.

See for example, "Dutch Authorities Plant Explosives on UF Professor"

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1347&dat=19950821&id=WuASAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5vwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6652,66695

OMG WTF!?

Makes me feel like we are all just their pawns to do with as they like, regardless of the serious reprocussions to all of us.

Just as well this Slovakian electrician wasn't in London or he could have joined the Brazilian electrician being shot dead by plain clothes police officers.

See text body..

Between the Slovakian authorities planting explosives and the Japanese customs planting drugs (all for testing purposes, honest) we live in interesting times for travelling!!

Chinese whispers

It seemed to me to be a bout of incompetence from the Irish plod, until I read the final paragraph in the Times article:

"It is understood that the security breach came to light only because officials at Bratislava airport finally contacted their counterparts at Dublin airport who then passed the information to the police."

Which implies, to me at least, that it was more likely that some of the rather significant details were left out of the conversation between Dublin airport and the police.

what?

Come on El Reg! You can do better. What exactly did the Slovakian officials tell their Irish counterparts? Arresting the poor guy sounds a bit harsh, if they have said they planted it in the baggage of an innocent third party. I do understand that the Irish authorities knocked at his door and wanted the stuff handed over, but they could have done it in a nicer way.

Shrinkwrap

Why do check-in desk staff bother to ask if you packed your own bags if they can be tampered with before loading?

Do we need to shrink-wrap our luggage now?

Irish were right...

I read it to mean he was arrested at dublin airport, then it took 3 days to get the info from the slovaks.

Seens to me thet the irish police did the right thing, guys turns up with explosives, arrst him and raid his flat.

What went wrong here is that the slovaks screwed up.

Do our overlords, sorry authorities, do the same thing? If they want to test security do it with someone who knows, and can prove, whats going on!

Lucky the bloke wasn't shot!

Wtf?

So slovakian civvy gets back to his digs in Dublin unpacks and finds enough high explosive to down a passenger jet?

This story smells of BS.

What about the ones they did find?

The other innocent passengers who had this stuff planted on them will now have their luggage contaminated with explosives.

The next time someone does a swab test on that luggage this may be detected. How is that person to prove their innocence, when they have no knowledge of the explosives having been planted and no way to find out?

I've had this test done at Eurostar - they opened a bag and wiped part of the inside with some sort of swab. If that had come up positive how could I have known about some half-wit security test weeks or months before?

Telex???????????

I have no idea how the Irish autorities didn't realise when the pilot himself sent a "Telex" message. I mean I'm sure the entire garda force were standing around the national 'telex' machine these last 85 years just waiting in case just such an announcement was to be made.....

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0106/breaking44.htm

Esp considering "In Ireland, Eircom – the country's largest telecommunication company and former PTT – formally discontinued Telex services on 30 July 2002"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraphy#Telex

...the mind boggles....

Irish Anit-Terrorism

The last time the Irish got substantially involved in anti-terrorism, didn't they raid Battersea Dogs' Home and kill all the Afghans?

Sir

I don't know much about RDX, but can it be set off accidentally*?

Christ, what if his luggage shifted in flight and blew them all up?

What's next? New test for Slovakia : We're going to test our new patriot missiles** by firing SAMS at international flights to see if we can shoot them down ok.

*I'm assuming it requires a detonator

**yes, I know they couldn't even take down scuds, SAMS are far too small and fast.

If it happened to me I'd be furious

So not only do the muppets of the Slovakian security authorities put at risk a plane and its passengers, but then the poor beggar who they accidentally fit up gets arrested. And anyone who's ever taken a trip to America on the Visa Waiver programme will know that by simple fact of being arrested he'd never be able to travel there visa-free ever again. And, given the nature of the arrest, despite the massive extenuating circumstances, you can bet your last euro that the US visa people will take one look at the record - "explosives, aeroplane, arrest" - and he'll be on a no-fly list before he can blink.

Poor bloke will never be able to travel anywhere ever again! If that were me I'd be reaching for the nearest high-powered lawyer.

Shock news!

Foreign electrician left *alive* after anti-terrorist raid.

Better than *some* plice forces have managed.

good grief

How many Irish exactly understand Slovakian (or vice-versa)? It's a wonder they communicated at all; much less finally got the poor blighter off the hook. He could have spent a lot of time in chokey.

Coming soon...

Those of us who have the temerity to speak out for civil liberties and criticise the government or police will be used as "test subjects", this time with the notable absence of any telephone calls to other countries' police departments concerning the "test". Nice way for free democratic governments to rid themselves of "dissidents" without tarnishing their free democratic image now, isn't it?

Photographers, civil liberties activists, and conscientious objectors, beware.

Pilot informed of explosives on board, takes off anyway!

Apparently, the Slovak authroities realized their mistake before the plane even took off, but the pilot decided to fly to Dublin anyway, and sent a message to ServisAir, the private company that handles baggage and check-in desks for airlines that don't have enough flights to Dublin to have their own staff based there. They ignored the message. (Which doesn't surprise me in the least). The pilot didn't follow up when he got to Dublin.

If found, please return to:

He could have just mailed the RDX back to them...