AFP
NEW DELHI, Aug 12: India's biggest private airline Jet Airways said on Saturday it was suspending a British employee arrested in London over an alleged plot to blow up US airliners.
"(Asmin) Tariq is being suspended pending a full investigation, having not reported for duty for the past couple of days," an airline statement said.
Tariq, a Jet security employee, was among 24 people arrested in Britain earlier this week over the alleged plot to use suicide bombers with explosives to blow US airliners out of the sky.
One person was later freed. Jet said Tariq, who holds a British passport, was transferred to Jet in March from global security group G4S -- previously called Securicor -- after the airline ended its contract with the company.
Jet, which flies to London and other international destinations as well as serving Indian domestic routes, said under British employment law, it had been obliged to take on employees working for G4S before the contract ended.
"G4S is a reputable agency which provides services to British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, SAS etc.," Jet said.
"All G4S employees ... had been cleared by the UK Government Security Agency, named Disclosures Scotland to work" at London's Heathrow airport.
"Typically it can take up to 12 weeks for an individual to obtain security clearance to work in Heathrow following references and referees from five different sources," the company statement said.
Indian media reported that Tariq was of Asian origin and born in 1983. Some 22 suspects were to be kept in detention until Wednesday, while a court hearing on the detention of the 23rd person was slated for Monday.
British officials allege the suspects plotted to blow up a number of planes bound for the United States in mid-air by boarding them at British airports with liquid explosives concealed in hand luggage.