LONDON, 17 January 2004 — A Sudanese national went before a London court yesterday charged with carrying live ammunition on a flight from Washington to London’s Heathrow airport, court officials said.
Wassila Alhibr Alwasila, 45, was arrested at a transit lounge security checkpoint on Wednesday after he came off a Virgin Atlantic flight from Dulles airport in the US capital.
He was held under the Terrorism Act 2000, but the charges he faced yesterday dealt with the ammunition — reportedly five bullets of two types — that were allegedly found in his possession. Appearing in Bow Street magistrate’s court, Alwasila, assisted by an Arabic interpreter, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth before Judge Caroline Tubbs remanded him in custody.
The defendant, who wore a blue checked shirt and khaki pants, was told to reappear in an unspecified criminal court on Feb. 13, a court official said.
His arrest called into question the level of security at Dulles, one of the biggest US airports, less than a week after the US national terrorist threat level was lowered from elevated to high. Alwasila faces three charges altogether: One for carrying ammunition, another for carrying “prohibited ammunition”, and a third regarding the “possession of dangerous articles on an airplane”, a police spokeswoman said.
