Police in the United Kingdom said on Thursday they have thwarted a plot to blow up aircraft in mid-flight, arresting a number of people in the London area.
Britain raised its security-threat level to ”critical”, which means it expects an attack imminently. The Home Office website showed the rating was raised to ”critical” from ”severe” earlier on Thursday.
Britain has a five-level rating for security threats, ranging from low to critical, which is the highest level.
Police said the aim of the plot was to detonate bombs smuggled on board aircraft in hand luggage.
”A major terrorist plot to allegedly blow up aircraft in mid-flight has been disrupted in a joint, pre-planned, intelligence-led operation by the metropolitan police anti-terrorist branch and security services,” a police spokesperson said.
He said police believe that the intention was particularly to target flights from Britain to the United States.
Police arrested an unspecified number of people in London during the night. He gave no further details. The BBC said about 18 people were arrested.
The United States Department of Homeland Security raised the security-threat level for all commercial flights to high, or orange, in coordination with the heightened security precautions in the United Kingdom.
Security stepped up
The operation, which lasted several months, according to Scotland Yard, prompted security at British airports to be stepped up.
Airlines banned hand luggage on flights out of the United Kingdom on Thursday and warned of massive delays. All carriers, including British Airways, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, stepped up security on news of the terror plot.
Passengers are banned from carrying any hand luggage on board flights, including cellphones and handbags, airlines and airport authorities said.
All liquids are banned on board except for essential medicines. Milk for babies will be allowed on board but must be tasted by the accompanying passenger, the British Airports Authority (BAA) said in a statement.
”British Airways, acting on instruction from the UK government, wishes to advise passengers that no items of hand baggage can be carried on board any aircraft departing any UK airport,” the airline said in a statement. ”The UK government has advised that this instruction will apply to all airlines operating from UK airports.”
The Department of Transport said in a statement on its website that security at all British airports has been increased and additional security measures have been put in place on all flights.
BAA, which operates three of London’s biggest airports, including Heathrow, said all passengers will be hand-searched, and their footwear and all items they carry will be X-rayed. It added that all passengers on flights to the US will be subject to a secondary search at the boarding gate.
”We are cooperating fully with the authorities,” said a spokesperson for United Airlines, which is one of just two US airlines, along with American, that have landing rights at London’s main Heathrow airport.
Carriers not flying on transatlantic routes were also affected. Low-cost airlines Ryanair and easyJet said significant delays should be expected. ”Our first-wave flights are currently in the process of taking off. We did not have aircraft in the air when we heard about this first thing this morning,” an easyJet spokesperson said.
Shares in British Airways were expected to fall about 4% in early trade, dealers said.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has come under strong criticism at home and abroad for following the US lead and refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.
The security alert comes 13 months after four Islamist suicide bombers killed 52 people on London’s transport network on July 7 last year. — Reuters, Sapa-dpa