VENEZUELA/FILE: Venezuela suspends Air France flight after bomb warning

Record ID: 860856

  • Title: VENEZUELA/FILE: Venezuela suspends Air France flight after bomb warning
  • Date: 15th December 2013
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN AIRPORT PLANES LANDING AT AIRPORT
  • Embargoed: 30th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
  • City:
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVA5GJHCNLJCTGR4T9SYXX51XTBW
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Venezuelan authorities remove passengers off Air France flight due to leave for Paris after French officials warned of a possible bomb threat.

    Venezuelan authorities took passengers off an Air France flight that was due to depart to Paris on Saturday (December 14) after French officials warned of a possible bomb threat, Venezuela's interior minister said.
    The minister, Miguel Rodriguez Torres, said experts from the Venezuelan intelligence agency, Sebin, were examining the aircraft, which had been about to make the overnight flight to the French capital from Caracas' Simon Bolivar international airport.
    Rodriguez told Venezuelan state TV that Sebin received information from the French intelligence and anti-terrorist authorities.
    "The Bolivarian National Intelligence Service has received information from the anti-terrorist unit of French intelligence - information they received in Paris - according to sources from the French intelligence services, there could be an explosive on a plane set to detonate on a flight between Caracas-Paris or Paris-Caracas. The French intelligence services do not yet have details. They are processing the information," said the minister, who is also the head of Sebin.
    He said the delayed flight, AF385, would be rescheduled after an exhaustive search, involving dozens of technicians and explosives experts, as well as a canine team, had been completed.
    A spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry was not immediately available for comment. There was no immediate word from Air France.
    In September, Venezuelan authorities arrested several National Guard soldiers and airport baggage handlers after 1.3 tonnes of cocaine worth as much as $270 million was found on an Air France plane after it arrived in Paris from Caracas.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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