LTB 984/10 - Terrorist Device Found at East Midlands Airport

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LTB 984/10 - Terrorist Device Found at East Midlands Airport - Update Report:

No. 984/10
Ref E1/10
Date: 8 November 2010




To: All Postal Branches


Dear Colleagues

Terrorist Device Found at East Midlands Airport - Update Report:

You will know from press and media reports that last Friday week on 29 October a viable terrorist explosive device was found at East Midlands airport. The suspect package was discovered during a search of a UPS Cargo Plane bound for the USA. This package originated in Yemen and was addressed to a destination in the US. The package arrived aboard the American-registered UPS cargo plane which was en route to Chicago via Philadelphia. The plane stopped at East Midlands Airport as part of a routine stopover.

The discovery of the parcel followed a tip-off received by MI6 of a possible Al-Qaeda plot to smuggle bombs to America on board cargo aircraft. Two devices were said to have been placed in the holds of planes that had already taken off from Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, a country that has become one of the key fronts in the battle against Islamic terrorists.

Although the UPS and DHL operations are located near the Royal Mail facility at East Midlands airport, at no time was the package on RM premises and it did not pass through the Royal Mail network.

Following the discovery of the suspect package and checks carried out by the Police CBRNE Officers and Security Services, an examination of the device, confirmed that the device was viable and could have exploded. The target of the device may have been an aircraft and, had it detonated, the aircraft could have been brought down. The authorities do not believe that the perpetrators of the attack would have known the location of the device when they planned for it to explode.

A second parcel containing an explosive device was intercepted, found and taken off a plane at Dubai International Airport. This had been sent via another parcel service, FedEx and this was also bound for the USA.

Both devices addressed to Chicago synagogues were made harmless by Bomb Experts. Subsequently Yemeni authorities seized more than 30 additional suspect parcels before they were loaded on outward bound flights.

Sources reported that the parcels containing the devices contained office-sized Hewlett Packard printers which were found to contain hidden devices in the printer cartridges, which had a small circuit board and wires attached to separate detonators - a cell phone SIM card and a trigger. The printer cartridges contained white powder inside rather than the black toner powder they should have contained. This was found to be PETN (pentaerythritol trinitrate) explosive material disguised by a chemical coating and contained in the doctored printer ink toner cartridge.

Following removal of the East Midlands suspect package there were several evacuations and all clears before Royal Mail was given final clearance for 'Business As Usual' with no additional requirements imposed at that time over and above those CBRNE measures we already have in place for safety, security to protect our people and Aviation Authority security standards and screening.

The Government and security agencies announced that they have no information to indicate another attack is imminent. The threat level is already at "Severe", meaning that a terrorist attack in this country is highly likely. They do not plan to change that threat level at this stage.

Further precautionary measures were agreed by the Home Secretary and the Transport Secretary, to take immediate action to stop the movement of all unaccompanied airfreight originating in Yemen and moving into or through the UK. This was subsequently extended to include airfreight originating from Somalia.

The Department of Transport subsequently contacted the transport airfreight and international mail and parcels carriers including Royal Mail and Parcelforce giving instructions not to fly onwards any mail, packets and parcels from the Yemen or Somalia either internally or internationally. As a result, measures were put in place at Mount Pleasant, HWDC and Parcelforce Coventry International Hub for items from these Countries to be intercepted, checked, marked and labelled "Not For Flight" and quarantined, before being re-screened and checked at HWDC prior to being cleared for onward processing and delivery. For the foreseable future all inward international Mail (Letters and Parcels) from the Yemen and Somalia, which all enters the UK via the London Airport Mails Unit (LAMU) will be moved to HWDC for screening prior to onward transition to Mount Pleasant and Parcelforce Coventry International Hub.

Direct cargo and passenger flights from Yemen were suspended for security reasons in January this year by the UK Government, following the earlier attempt to bomb an aircraft destined for Detroit. A Nigerian "underwear bomber" with links to the Arab country allegedly tried to blow up a US airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.

The Home Secretary said: 'Safety and security of the UK remains my number one priority and at this stage there is nothing to suggest that any location in the UK was being targeted. Further considerations and urgently being considered in relation to steps that need to be put in place regarding security of freight originating from Yemen.

The investigation remains ongoing and sensitive with the police, security and intelligence agencies working tirelessly to increase the understanding of the case. The UK is working closely with US authorities and international colleagues to develop our understanding of what was planned and of course to bring to justice those responsible. "Cobra", the civil contingencies committee which leads cross government responses to high priority national issues has been activated and meeting regularly since the discovery of the devices.

London's Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command. which took over responsibility for the operation from local Leicestershire police, said in a statement: ""explosives officers" attended the airport and Cargo removed from the plane was examined before being loaded on to a helicopter to be taken to a specialist laboratory for further testing to be carried out. Following this a number of items have been sent for additional scientific examination." The Police confirmed that the airport "continued to operate as normal and there was no further threat." The Government subsequently announced that a "credible terrorist threat" had been foiled.

During the course of developments on 29 October and over the subsequent weekend and following days, the Chair of the Royal Mail CBRNE Committee was in constant contact with the Health, Safety and Environment Department and CWU Area Safety Reps in the Branches concerned were regularly updated as was the DGS(P) and CWU/HQ Postal Officers.

Yours Sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer