UK police arrest 3 on plane at Heathrow airport over bomb threat

Three men aboard a Dubai-bound commercial flight were taken into police custody after making a bomb threat at London's Heathrow airport late Friday.

The three passengers, who were English and seemingly drunk, were taken away by police after they made a "verbal" bomb threat to the staff of the Emirates Flight EK004 which was preparing to take off, Sky News quoted London police as saying.

The police operation was quick and did not cause shouting or screaming, according to Sky News. No trace of actual threat was found, it added.

The alert only affected the Dubai-bound flight while Britain's busiest and biggest airport remained open, said an airport spokesman.

The incident followed the failed bombing attempt by a young Nigerian on a plane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit, the United States, on Christmas Day.

The Christmas drama has heightened the vigilance of the airports worldwide, triggering many tighter security measurers.

Britain announced its airports will use full body scanners and Heathrow will be the first user before the end of this month, said British Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

Source: Xinhua