Authorities arrested a man after he attempted to travel with a suitcase containing explosives from Lehigh Valley International Airport (Pennsylvania) to Orlando (Florida). Marc Muffley, 40, has been charged with possessing an explosive device at an airport and attempting to place an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft.
The arrest took place off-site on Monday after infrared baggage checks revealed the contents. Airport security paged Muffey, but he did not take the flight and left the airport. When he did not respond to the call, the police authorities were alerted and proceeded to locate and arrest him hours later.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the authorities against Muffley, the device could be ignited by heat or friction and therefore posed a high risk to the integrity of the aircraft and passengers.
Upon X-ray examination of the suitcase, an FBI bomb technician certified that it was a device made of commercially available pyrotechnic material about three inches in diameter. It was equipped with two fuses: a fast fuse manufactured as standard and a slow-burning fuse that was intentionally placed. The explosive was wrapped in clear plastic and concealed in the luggage lining.
He wasn't just carrying an explosive device
Aside from the explosive, authorities also found a can of butane, a lighter, a pipe with traces of white powder, a cordless drill with cordless batteries, and two GFCI outlets, used to save appliances from electrical shock, taped together with black duct tape inside the suitcase.
Due to the incident, the airport was closed for more than two hours, according to Colin Riccobon, the airport's public relations director. Muffley remains in custody pending his hearing, scheduled for Thursday.
