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Thursday, 24 August 2006, 17:46 GMT 18:46 UK

Jet alert suspects 'to be freed'

Northwest Airlines aircraft at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport after turning back mid-flight All 12 passengers arrested after a US airliner returned to Amsterdam will be released, Dutch prosecutors say.

Northwest Airlines flight 42, bound for Mumbai (Bombay) in India, changed course over Germany and flew back to Schiphol airport on Wednesday.

The 12 men, said to be of Asian appearance, reportedly aroused suspicion by fiddling with mobile phones and plastic bags.

US air marshals apprehended them before the pilot diverted the flight.

Two Dutch F-16 fighter jets escorted it back to Schiphol.

Explosives search

"From the statement of suspects and witnesses, no evidence could be brought forward that these men were about to commit an act of violence," a prosecution statement said.

It added that police had searched for explosives on the aircraft, but had found none.

The same flight departed for Mumbai, India's financial hub, on Thursday morning.

Security levels at airports across the world were raised two weeks ago after British police said they had foiled a plot to blow up a number of transatlantic flights.

Several security alerts since then have seen flights diverted, passengers removed or planes searched.




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Related to this story:
Dutch arrest 12 in flight alert (23 Aug 06 |  Europe )
Plane note prompts airport alert (22 Aug 06 |  England )
'Suspicious' pair taken off plane (20 Aug 06 |  England )
Woman held over plane diversion (17 Aug 06 |  Americas )
Plane diversion reveals raw nerves (16 Aug 06 |  Americas )
UK-US flight in emergency divert (16 Aug 06 |  Americas )

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