Ron Smith, Customs Officer, Solves the Case.

Ok. Chief Customs Officer Ron Smith solved the case. Those mysterious Indians were apparently from another flight. Whew. Glad that's over. Now lets get those body scanners in the airports and begin those war plans for Yemen.


Here is the email he allegedly sent on December 31st, to reporters and also to the Haskell's, the eyewitnesses of the mysterious Indians of preceding posts.


All,
Good Evening,
Thank you for your patience and accuracy in reporting the events of December 25 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Everything we have talked about has been accurate concerning these events
That being said I have just received a piece of information that I did not previously have and hope it will clear up this matter.
As I have explained, there were no other passengers from flight 253 arrested or detained. The eyewitness accounts coincided with a separate issue concerning a passenger from a separate flight arriving at the airport. That passenger was escorted from the arriving plane to the CBP area. He was handcuffed at that time and could have been observed by the passengers from flight 253.
This still remains true; however, I now know that a passenger from flight 253 did have a canine alert to his carry on baggage in the baggage area of the CBP facility. He was placed in handcuffs and escorted to an interview room where he was interviewed and searched. There was nothing found during that search. Following the negative search results he received an explanation of why he was searched. He thanked the officers for doing their job and departed the facility along with the other passengers from flight 253.
I can not provide any other information about the individual because again, he was not arrested or detained and we have to protect his privacy.
This information is consistent with the eyewitness accounts.
I accept full responsibility for this information not being made available to you. I did not access the correct report that contained this information. I take pride in providing my media contacts complete, accurate information and I did not accomplish that this time. Please accept my apologies for any difficulties this may create.
I am sending this as an email because I will be traveling this evening and will not be available by phone until first thing in the morning.
Ronald G Smith
Chief CBP Officer
Public Affairs Liaison
US Customs and Border Protection
Office of Field Operations


So after several witnesses came forward about the handcuffed indian, Mr. Smith admits now finially he existed, but was from a different plane. He also now admits there was a second man from the flight who had a 'canine alert' and was handcuffed and interrogated and later released. Oh but wait...apparently Ron Smith has yet another version of events! In this article in Detroit News published yesterday he is stated as saying:

"A sniffer dog reacted to agricultural or food products inside the bag of a third man, who was off yet another flight, Smith said. He was questioned and may have had some items confiscated but was not arrested, Smith said. Smith could not identify the flight number for the man found with prohibited food or plant products."

Oh wait a second, so now he wasn't from flight 253 but from another flight? A flight which you can't identify? Ah, I see. Ok let's bomb Yemen. I trust you.

Lori Haskell however continues to defend their account of the man with the 'canine alert' in the article:

I walked off the plane with the individual," who was later arrested, Lori Haskell said. "He was standing around 15 to 20 feet away from us ... the entire time."

The original email above from Mr. Smith as well as other portions of the Haskell's defence of their account can be found on their blog.