Fine for man who carried flick-knives onto two planes
22.09.07
A passenger who carried 5 deadly flick-knives onto two planes, has been fined £600. Peter Enguita, 46, bought the knives disguised as cigarette lighters in Bangkok. He boarded planes in Thailand and Amsterdam with one of the knives in his hand luggage and 4 more in his hold baggage. He was only stopped by police officers when he arrived at Durham Tees Valley Airport.
Mr. Enguita, from Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to two charges of carrying flick-knives on a plane in the UK at Darlington Magistrates Court. He was able to pass checks in Bangkok and Amsterdam with the knives - part of novelty cigarette lighters - but was arrested when his bags were checked at Durham Tees Valley. Graham Brown, defending, said: 'It was a nave act on his part because there was no suggestion that my client would cause injury to any party.'
Magistrates fined him a total of £600 and ordered the knives to be destroyed. Chairman of the bench Maria Waller said: 'We think this was stupid and naive rather than criminal. Nevertheless it is a very serious offence to carry something like this in the cabin or an aircraft.'
Police say the 2 inch blades, with a serrated top edge, were capable of killing somebody. Officers at Durham Tees Valley Airport have been praised after they apprehended the man, who was returning from a trip to Thailand. A police spokesman described the security breaches at the foreign airports as 'embarrassing.'
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