and you thought the tsa was bad

[Dave]

http://www.nydailynews.com/travel/20...er_botche.html


Slovakian man unknowingly carries explosives on flight to Ireland after botched security test


Surprise, there’s a bomb in your bag!

A Slovakian electrician unknowingly carried plastic explosives on a flight from Bratislava to Dublin after a major snafu in a Slovak airport-security test, Irish officials told the Times of London yesterday.

To make matters worse, the man unwittingly had the explosives in his posession for three days before Irish security officials were contacted.

Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak expressed “profound regret” to the Irish government for the oversight and the delay in alerting Irish authorities. Dublin security chiefs said it was foolish for the Slovaks to hide bomb parts in the luggage of unwitting passengers under any circumstances.

Slovak authorities placed real bomb parts in nine passengers’ bags Saturday. Eight were detected. But the electrician, returning to Ireland where he has lived for four years, boarded his flight at Poprad-Tatry Airport in Slovakia unaware that he was in possession of 3 ounces of RDX plastic explosive - enough to blow up the plane mid-air, according to the Times of London.

The man didn’t find out he was carrying a bomb until Irish police, acting on a Slovak tip, raided his flat Tuesday. Police said they were led to believe the man might be a terrorist, until Slovak authorities told them of the security screwup.

A major Dublin intersection was closed and neighbors were evacuated while Irish Army experts inspected the explosive. The man was released without charge after several hours’ detention.

Irish Army spokesman, Commandant Gavin Young, said the explosive posed no threat to passengers because it was stable and wasn’t connected to other bomb parts