Anything to declare? Just knives, a hatchet, body bags, a grenade...

Investigation launched after passenger passes airport security despite weapons cache

An investigation has been launched into how a passenger boarded a US-bound plane without airport staff realising he was carrying a cache of weapons.

Yongda Huang Harris travelled from Japan with a stop-off in South Korea where screening revealed nothing suspicious but once he reached the US he was found to be wearing a bulletproof vest and had a smoke grenade, knives, clubs handcuffs, a gas mask and other weapons in his luggage.

Other items included bodybags, leg irons, duct tape a hatchet, a collapsible baton and a biohazard suit. His hand luggage had been searched when he boarded the flight and nothing dangerous was found but in the US the small armoury was located in his checked-in baggage.

Mr Harris, a US citizen, was arrested in Los Angeles and has been charged with transporting hazardous materials, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He remained in custody after a court appearance on Tuesday and is expected to return to court today.

The charge relates to the smoke grenade which is banned from planes under the United Nations' explosives shipping rules. While the rest of the weaponry may be surprising it is not thought it breached air travel regulations because it was placed in luggage that was checked in rather than carried as accessible hand luggage.

Tom Blank, a former deputy administrator at the Transportation Security Administration, said the it is likely the US authorities will try to determine if the failure to spot the hand grenade was a one-off lapse or part of a wider problem.

"This clearly looks like an error. Something slipped through that should not have slipped through," he said.

Gadisa Goso, 29, a school administrator and neighbour of Mr Harris' mother in Boston, said: "The one thing that concerns me is he was able to board a plane internationally with all these weapons and nobody in Japan or Korea bothered to find these things until he got to America. That's a big concern."

Yasunori Oshima, an official at Japan's Land and Transport Ministry's aviation safety department, said there had been no official inquiry or request from US authorities to look into the case, which he said would have been more of a concern if the hazardous materials were brought on board rather than checked in.

"The case does not seem to pose any immediate concerns about aviation security measures in Japan," he said.

Airport police said they do not believe the case constitutes illegal conduct under the Japanese domestic criminal code, but Japan may cooperate at the request of US investigators.

Masahiro Nakamoto, an immigration officer at Kansai, said Japanese authorities did not report anything suspicious at the time Mr Harris boarded, but arriving passengers are checked more closely than those leaving the country.

If the US determines a country's airport doesn't meet US standards, it can ask for stronger security measures and even prohibit flights from flying directly to the US from that country.

There is no indication that Mr Harris, who does not have a criminal record, is linked to a terrorist organisation or planned to damage the plane. The grenade was not considered likely to be able to bring an aircraft down, though it could cause confusion and alarm by filling a cabin with smoke.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Top stories
News in pictures
World news in pictures
UK news in pictures
UK news in pictures
More stories
       
Independent
Travel Shop
India and Shimla
14 nights from only £1899pp Find out more
Prague city break
Three nights from £199pp Find out more
4* Soreda hotel break, Malta
Seven nights all-inclusive from £399pp Find out more
Independent Dating
and  

By clicking 'Search' you
are agreeing to our
Terms of Use.

Day In a Page

James Pembroke: The man who's eaten everywhere

The man who's eaten everywhere

Few people know more about restaurants than James Pembroke, who only spent five mealtimes at home during his entire childhood.
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

The young JFK praised 'superior' Nordic races during visits to Germany
Banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof to attend Cannes Film Festival 2013, his first public appearance since prison

Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival

Mohammad Rasoulof to make his first public appearance since being imprisoned three years ago
Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

An exhibition explores images how photography has shaped astronomy
Eat Spam and carry on: Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating

Eat Spam and carry on

Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating
Facial hair: Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence

Facial hair

Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

Whether they're for everyday use or to make your dining table look just right, it's worth getting a stylish shaker...
Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Chief executive says trophies will come if a 'core' of suitable players is in place
Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

The Bayern Munich forward tells Tim Rich his side have to shed chokers' tag after two recent final defeats
Giro d'Italia: The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

As the Giro d'Italia tackles the brutal climb, Simon Usborne takes on the snow and switchbacks – and soon realises what the fuss is about
National archives: Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Newly unearthed papers reveal a shocking extra dimension to the constitutional crisis over monarch’s abdication
Sent down at the Old Bailey: A tour of the world's most famous court

Sent down at the Old Bailey

A tour of the world's most famous court
Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

The Hangover actor Zach Galifianakis’s date for his movie premieres isn’t arm candy  – it’s his 87-year-old friend who he saved from homelessness
British football scores an own goal

British football scores an own goal

Many managers barely survive a year in post. Martin Baker talks to experts who make a case for clubs using forensic business skills to find the best staff
James Lawton: Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again

James Lawton

Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again