US – Con-way Freight, the less than truckload (LTL) division of the logistics giant have issued details of their involvement in foiling a bomb plot which led to the arrest of a terrorist suspect. The case is a shot in the arm for the industry after the recent discovery of explosive devices sent as cargo via air passenger services which had already passed through international airport security systems.
At Con-way’s Lubbock, Texas service depot on the 1st February the company’s security protocols identified a suspicious consignment containing product whose use did not appear consistent with a known commercial application for similar goods. Con-way's local management immediately flagged the shipment as suspicious and notified Con-way's corporate security department who in turn triggered the company's Homeland Security escalation plan.
A call to the law enforcement authorities produced a visit from the federal authorities to examine the shipment and its background. The subsequent continuing investigation has now led to the arrest of a suspect, Saudi Arabian engineering student Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, who appeared in Court this week, charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. It is believed ex President George W Bush was a primary target for the bomb.
