Hijack suspects held in Bolivia

Bolivian security forces were today questioning nine Bangladeshis after being told they were planning to hijack an airliner for an attack on an US target.

“Those reports about a planned hijacking came from the French police,” said Interior Minister Alfonso Ferrufino. ”We cannot confirm them.”

However, Bolivian police said they received an urgent warning from a security attache at the French embassy in the capital La Paz, which said:

“French intelligence services have received information that leads to think that the citizens from Bangladesh may board planes in South America, hijack them and crash them against US targets.”

The Bolivian newspaper El Debar reported that the group was planning to fly to Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, on December 2, but the airline, Aerolineas Argentinas, cancelled their flight ”at the last minute.”

According to Bolivian officials, the Bangladeshis flew to South America from France, and from Argentina to Bolivia.

Prosecutor Jaime Soliz said the Bangladeshis will be sent back to Argentina.