Vietnam to inform France about security loophole
Tuoitrenews
Updated : Fri, September 16, 2011,4:32 PM (GMT+0700)
The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) is probing the discovery of an explosive abroad a flight from Paris to Hanoi and will warn France about its airport security loophole, an official has said.
Lai Xuan Thanh, deputy head of CAAV, told Tien Phong Newspaper yesterday that his agency would request French airport authorities to clarify the incident.
CAAV would reward the Noi Bai airport security for the discovery, Thanh added.
On September 13, a Laotian national, 26-year-old Xiong Nouyee arrived at Noi Bai aboard the VN534 flight of Vietnam Airlines from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and was caught carrying 0.5 kg of TNT explosive, a hunting rifle and ammunition in his luggage.
The discovery was made when Nouyee was going through procedures to transfer to another flight to Laos.
The airport security then detained Nouyee for questioning and the Laotian embassy later offered its guarantee for him. Nouyee was allowed to fly home at noon on Wednesday.
Vietnamese airway officials have expressed surprise that Nouyee could go through the strict security of Charles de Gaulle Airport undetected.
Meanwhile, AFP quoted the Laotian Embassy in Hanoi as saying the incident was “nothing dangerous."
Determining whether the materials posed a danger to Vietnam Airlines "depends on the results of an inquiry by the country's aviation authorities", AFP quoted Thanh as saying.
Le Hoang Dung, the airline's spokesperson, was quoted by AFP as saying, "The case is presently being examined and we are waiting for a final conclusion by relevant Vietnamese agencies."