Society

Hong Kong investigators briefly held in Manila

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-09-03 12:10

Two Hong Kong policemen were briefly detained at the international airport in the Philippine capital Manila after empty bullet shells were found in their luggage by Philippine aviation security, Xinhuanet.com reported.

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The two men were part of a special Hong Kong team in Manila to conduct investigations in connection with the deaths of eight Hong Kong tourists during a bungled bus hijacking rescue attempt last week.

The Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) said they spotted the bullet shells in one of the policemen's hand-carried baggage in the initial X-ray section area of the airport on Thursday.

Airport security forces initially suspected the bullet shells were exhibits from the investigations since the policemen didn't file the shell for clearance, the report said.

The two Hong Kong policemen were eventually allowed to board their Cathay Pacific Airlines Flight CX 900 bound for Hong Kong, after Jose Vicente B. Salazar, undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Justice, dispatched a special order.

Salazar said the shells were from an M-16 rifle that was used for a fire-test during the probe. The hijacker, who was killed on the scene, also used an M-16 rifle, Salazar added, according to the report.