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Man stopped at LAX wearing bullet proof vest, carrying gas mask, smoke bombs etc.

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G

Guevara

Member
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A man wearing a bullet-proof vest was arrested at LAX after customs agents found a smoke grenade, a gas mask and body bags in his luggage.

Yongda Huang Harris, 28, had just arrived on a flight from Japan when he was referred for secondary inspection after customs officers noticed he was wearing a bulletproof vest and flame retardant pants.

According to Homeland Security, Harris' luggage contained a pyrotechnic smoke grenade, three leather-coated billy clubs, a collapsible baton, various knives and a hatchet.

He also had a full-face respirator, body bags, a biohazard suit, handcuffs, leg irons and a device to repel dogs.

Officials say Harris, who makes his permanent home in Boston, has been living and working recently in Japan.

He's a naturalized U.S. citizen who was formerly a Chinese national.
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http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-lax-body-armor-arrest,0,4079712.story

More information:
Yongda Huang Harris, 28, was taken into custody recently during a stopover on a trip from Japan when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers reported noticing he was wearing the protective gear under his trench coat, triggering a Homeland Security investigation.

Harris has not co-operated with authorities attempting to interview him, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an open investigation Tuesday.

The official said Harris, who was taken into custody Friday, is not believed to be linked to a terrorist organization. His motive, however, has not been determined, the official said.
...
Harris has been charged with one count of transporting hazardous materials, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He made a brief court appearance Tuesday, but his arraignment was delayed until Friday and he was ordered held until then.

...
The smoke grenade was X-rayed by police bomb squad officers, who said the device fell into a category that is prohibited on board passenger aircraft.

Such a grenade “could potentially fill the cabin of a commercial airplane with smoke or cause a fire,” federal officials said in a news release.

Many of the other items authorities say they found in Harris' luggage — including the hatchet and knives — wouldn't violate Transportation Security Administration guidelines for what is permissible in luggage that is checked.

However, customs officers Kenny Frick and Brandon Parker believed in their initial investigation that the lead-filled, leather-coated billy clubs and a collapsible baton may be prohibited by California law, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court.

A customs official said Tuesday night that Harris was not enrolled in any of the U.S. government's trusted traveller programs, which could have allowed faster processing through security or customs. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.

Harris travelled from Kansai, in western Japan, to Incheon, Korea, before landing in Los Angeles.

An immigration officer at Kansai International Airport, Masahiro Nakamoto, said authorities did not report anything suspicious at the time Harris boarded. Spokesman Keisuke Hamatani said Kansai security officials had not reported any suitcases containing the hazardous materials U.S. authorities say they found in Harris' luggage.

Nakamoto said arriving passengers are checked more closely than those leaving the country.

Yasunori Oshima, an official at Japan's Land and Transport Ministry's aviation safety department, said there had been no official inquiry or request from U.S. authorities to look into the case, which he said would have been more of a concern if the hazardous materials were brought on board rather than checked.

“The case does not seem to pose any immediate concerns about aviation security measures in Japan,” he said.

Airport police said they do not believe the case constitutes illegal conduct under the Japanese domestic criminal code, but Japan may co-operate at the request of U.S. investigators.
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http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1268825--man-arrested-at-airport-with-weapons-leg-irons-gas-mask-biohazard-suit-in-luggage
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
Well, my days as a non scrutinized traveler are over.
 
O

Onion_Relish

Member
HOW COULD CUSTOMS TAKE AWAY HIS RIGUT TO PROTECT HIMSELF FROM FIRE AND DOGS. THIS IS MURICA, DON'T TREAD ON ME!!!!

but yeah, seriously, what the fuck. I like how buddy was already half dressed. what was he going to do, strap the rest of his shit on at the baggage claim?
 
G

gazele

Banned
Damn, I was just at LAX a few days ago too. Super scary, how did he get on the flight from Asia with all that stuff?
 
M

mollipen

Member
Clydefrog said:
Ooh, Kansai airport! Isn't that the floating airport?
Click to expand...

Yup.

And man, I hope this doesn't screw up airport security in Japan. It's so much nicer than in the US. Guy probably shouldn't have had the smoke grenade in his luggage, and the bulletproof vest is weird, but otherwise, really, his luggage was weird, but I don't believe illegal.
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
shidoshi said:
And man, I hope this doesn't screw up airport security in Japan. It's so much nicer than in the US. Guy probably shouldn't have had the smoke grenade in his luggage, and the bulletproof vest is weird, but otherwise, really, his luggage was weird, but I don't believe illegal.
Click to expand...

his luggage was WEIRD?! if he had an arab sounding name, you'd be calling him a terrorist already.

and i'm pretty sure Somalia has better airport security staff than the US, not really a talking point.
 
Phoenix

Phoenix

Member
gazele said:
Damn, I was just at LAX a few days ago too. Super scary, how did he get on the flight from Asia with all that stuff?
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I have found that travel from Japan tends to have a more relaxed check than that in the states. They let me bring food, water, and all sorts of things on the plane in my carry on that I was sure they would have made me repack. This was 4 years ago, but I expect that it hasn't changed much. Seemed to be more a custom thing than anything else. Was flying a Delta flight so I figured it would be stricter.
 
Z

Zzoram

Member
It doesn't seem like he had any intention of attacking the airport since he didn't fight back or do anything and it sounds like he was cooperative except for not explaining his motive.
 
E

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
They don't seem to mention any guns though. Isn't that concerning? Like he was going to acquire them after, or someone would provide him with said guns on arrival.
 
Z

zephervack

Member
OH wow, this guy was prepared for war, I wonder what he was planning to do with all that gear, scary stuff.

Also im glad he was stupid enough to parade around an Airport with a bullet proof vest and fire pants.
 
E

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
The body bags possibly imply killing and kidnapping of the body, so possibly a high valued target. But again, no guns, so I'd be more worried about other accomplices being out there, or a stash of weapons somewhere.
 
G

Guevara

Member
Ether_Snake said:
The body bags possibly imply killing and kidnapping of the body, so possibly a high valued target. But again, no guns, so I'd be more worried about other accomplices being out there, or a stash of weapons somewhere.
Click to expand...

I really just think it's a crazy person totally detached from reality.
 
S

sonitii

Member
So I just heard about this on the news, and I realized that this guy might have gone to the same high school as me in Boston. I think we were in the same Spanish class once upon a time. His name sounded familiar when I heard it, and now looking at the courtroom sketches, it does kind of resemble the person I remember from like 10+ years ago. The only thing is there was no Harris to his name then.
 
S

Seguin

Banned
sonitii said:
So I just heard about this on the news, and I realized that this guy might have gone to the same high school as me in Boston. I think we were in the same Spanish class once upon a time. His name sounded familiar when I heard it, and now looking at the courtroom sketches, it does kind of resemble the person I remember from like 10+ years ago. The only thing is there was no Harris to his name then.
Click to expand...

Fascinating
 
X

xbhaskarx

Member
had just arrived on a flight from Japan

“The case does not seem to pose any immediate concerns about aviation security measures in Japan,” he said.


what
the
fuck
 
E

Ermac

Proudly debt free. If you need a couple bucks, just ask.
Yeah honest question, are you allowed to wear a bullet proof vest on a plane?
 
dorkimoe

dorkimoe

Member
Now they will make the tsa look really good. And then it won't be a hot topic for election time.

And as far as the question above goes, I think you can wear bullet proof vests but if you commit a crime in one you're fucked. I think
 
J

Jasoneyu

Member
Ermac said:
Yeah honest question, are you allowed to wear a bullet proof vest on a plane?
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My thinking is that people just don't wear bullet proof vest for the hell of it. If anything it could prevent damage from someone who is attempting to take over a plane/airport/etc.
 
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