CAIRO, Egypt Three forged passports were found in the bathroom of a TWA jetliner bound for New York Saturday possibly dumped by terrorists or drug smugglers who learned that plane would be searched, authorities said,
The passports, allegedly issued by the Persian Gulf state of Bahrain, were discovered in a trash receptacle in the bathroom of the Boeing 747 jumbo jet during a search on the ground at Cairo airport.
A TWA spokesman confirmed the passports were found but added, “I cannot say whether they are forged or not.” But Egyptian security authorities said the names on the documents were not listed. They suspect that the terrorists or drug traffickers dumped them in the bathroom after realizing the plane would be searched during its stopover in Cairo,
The plane, carrying 255 passengers, made a scheduled landing in Cairo. On the ground, security officers searched the aircraft, the passengers and their baggage in line with tougher security measures ordered after the bombing of a TWA jetliner over Greece in April and the US. raid on Libya last week.
Officials said the passports carried the names of three people, allegedly students who were related. The pictures had been removed before the documents were dumped in the trash receptacle.
The remaining 230 and about 100 others boarded in Cairo for New York after a four-hour delay.
‘The Middle East News Agency said the plane was allowed to leave only after authorities determined the identities of all passengers who disembarked in Cairo as well as those who were aboard the flight to New York.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 25, 1986
