A man has been arrested by the FBI for attempting to bring a device connected to potentially explosive powder aboard a commercial flight. Mark Muffley40, was arrested Monday night at his home after being spotted hours earlier by security cameras at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania.
Muffley was scheduled to board an Allegiant plane bound for Orlando, Florida. A suitcase intended for the hold was blocked after metal detector checks. At that point the alarm went off and the security agents activated. The subsequent X-ray examination revealed a device and explosive material on the bottom of the baggage: granular powder, used for fireworks, as well as a can containing butane gas, a pipe, a lighter, a wireless device and two switches tied by a ribbon.
According to the authorities, the dust could trigger an explosion on board and put the crew and passengers at risk.
A terminal was closed for security reasons, and the suitcase checked by the bomb squad. When the FBI rang Muffley over loudspeakers, inviting him to report to the desk, the man was seen leaving the airport. A few hours later he was arrested.