Two Sri Lankans in custody at US airport

UNITED STATES: Two Sri Lankans carrying suspected false passports were taken into custody and an Air Canada commuter plane they had tried to board was diverted back to Rochester's airport because one of their bags was believed to be aboard, authorities said.

The Toronto-bound plane was directed back to Rochester on Wednesday by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and all 11 passengers were removed, said Monroe County sheriff's spokesman John Helfer. There were no reports of injuries.

During a routine check of passenger information, Customs and Border Protection officers identified two Sri Lankans carrying Canadian passports that were suspected to be fake, Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke said.

The passengers - a man and a woman - were headed to Toronto on Air Canada flight 7405, which departed at 10:15 a.m. and returned around 11 a.m. Authorities placed the pair in custody for questioning, during which the woman became upset, began complaining of chest pains and indicated she needed her bag, which had already been loaded onto the flight, Knocke said.

"There was a significant language barrier with the passengers, and the male is believed to have made a confusing remark about a possible suicide bomb," Knocke said.

Authorities ordered the flight back to Rochester "out of an abundance of caution," he said, and deplaned the passengers. No explosive device was found, he said, and the male passenger's bag never actually made it on the flight.

The two Sri Lankans were still in customs and border protection custody early Thursday and it was unclear whether they had been charged, said Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke. The investigation was continuing and was being coordinated by the Monroe County sheriff's office bomb squad, Homeland Security and FBI agents.

ROCHESTER, New York (AP)