A man has been found guilty of trying to smuggle a pipe bomb on to a plane at Manchester Airport.<\/p>\n
The “crude improvised explosive device” was found in Nadeem Muhammad’s carry-on luggage as he went through security on 30 January.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said the 43-year-old from Bury intended to detonate the device on a Ryanair flight to Bergamo, Italy.<\/p>\n
He was found guilty of possessing explosives with intent to endanger life at Manchester Crown Court.<\/p>\n
Muhammad, of Tinline Street, was born in Pakistan and holds an Italian passport.<\/p>\n
He was attempting to board the flight to northern Italy when the item was discovered. He told airport officials that someone else had put it in his luggage.<\/p>\n
The court heard how he was questioned by police but not arrested.<\/p>\n
He then returned to the airport on 5 February and flew to Italy.<\/p>\n
A forensic examination of the device, which was made from batteries, wire, masking tape and a marker pen tube, later found it was “potentially viable”, the jury was told.<\/p>\n
It was found to contain nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose, which led to Muhammad’s home in Italy being searched.<\/p>\n
After being questioned by Italian police, he was released and boarded a flight back to the UK on 12 February. He was arrested by UK officers shortly after it landed.<\/p>\n
Muhammad wept as the majority verdict of 10 to two was given in court.<\/p>\n
Following the hearing, the Crown Prosecution Service’s Sue Hemming said his motive “remains unknown”, adding: “However, it is clear that the consequences, had he been successful, could have been disastrous.”<\/p>\n
He will be sentenced on 23 August.<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"