“Bombs” found in luggage at second Cameroon airport

Police arrested two Brussels Airlines passengers at the Nsimalen airport on Thursday after officers found “potentially explosive” material in their luggage.

It came within weeks after customs at the Douala airport removed suspected explosives from a passenger’s luggage as he boarded an Air Maroc flight.

There was no immediate indication that the two incidents, happening more than 300 kilometers apart, were connected.

But there was apparent concern about the potential use of Cameroon as transit for terrorist activities targeting Western countries.

Combined with insecurity in the north of the country, the suspected bomb finds could hurt the country’s rebounding tourism sector.

Police at the Nsimalen airport said they found what they believed to be explosive material in the hand luggage of two unnamed passengers.

The men believed to be travelling to the United States via Brussels were prevented from boarding the plane and taken away.

Airport rules consider any suspicious behavior or talk that may be considered to potentially endanger a plane as a crime.

Belgian media reported that the plane arrived Brussels safely on Friday. The danger had been removed, said the Belgian minister of interior Joelle Miliquet.

Customs in Douala removed a flashlight-like object, which turned out to be an explosive device, from the luggage of a Sri Lankan on 29 May.

The man identified as Mohamed Saleem was allowed to board the Royal Air Maroc flight to Casablanca because airport security could not immediately identify the object.

Bomb finds are uncommon at Cameroon airport even though customs and security officers routinely arrest suspected drug and wildlife traffickers.

Security at Cameroon’s two international airports are considered weak and airline companies are forced to make their own checks after you go through security.