No explosive material found in DHL packages - interior ministry

Wednesday 25-11-2015 10:13 AM
No explosive material found in DHL packages - interior ministry

Cairo International Airport.

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CAIRO, Nov. 25 (Aswat Masriya) - In a statement on it's official Facebook page, Egypt's interior ministry refuted Tuesday evening media reports claiming that two DHL packages intercepted at Cairo International Airport contained "explosive material".

News reports had claimed that two DHL U.S.-bound packages flying via London were confiscated by Cairo airport authorities following screenings by two explosives detectors.

In an email interview requesting a comment on the news, a DHL communications executive Nagwa Raslan told Aswat Masriya that the circulated information was "not accurate".

"We follow very strict security measures, and stay compliant to various security directives and procedures set by our network, international standards, and local authorities," wrote Raslan.

She explained that following that process, DHL intercepted a shipment which "appeared to be contaminated."

She added that the source or reasons for the contamination were "not confirmed" and that DHL had immediately handed the package to the authorities for further investigation.

"We follow very strict security measures, and stay compliant to various security directives and procedures set by our network, international standards, and local authorities," said Raslan.

"DHL’s Cairo facility is RA3 certified," added Raslan, "and uses the latest state of the art screening equipment that is regularly upgraded to maintain the safety of our employees, customer packages, and our assets."

The interior ministry's statement Tuesday night said that the suspicious material turned out to be printing ink.

Egypt's airport security has come under heavy international scrutiny following the alleged terrorist bombing of a Russian charter which took off from Sharm el-Sheikh resort heading to St. Petersburg but crashed in the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 passenger and crew on board on Oct. 31.

According to aircargoworld.com, the incident prompted the restriction of air cargo shipments to the United States and the United Kingdom  from Egypt.

"EgyptAir was told to cease carrying belly cargo on flights to London or to U.S. destinations, and that the NSA had banned belly cargo on flights to the U.S. from Egypt," said the website.

Under the new rules, "carriers flying cargo bound for the United States from Egypt must now be quarantined for 48 hours upon arrival and before transits on domestic flights from local airports."

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