Egypt detains airline passenger on flight from New York with luggage packed with weapons

Egypt detains NY passenger with guns in luggage

CAIRO — Airport officials in Cairo say police have detained an American-Egyptian man who arrived on a flight from New York with several weapons in his luggage.

The officials say the man was taken into custody as he tried to pass through customs with a metal box containing two 9 mm handguns, 250 bullets, several swords, daggers and knives.

They say customs officials had been alerted after the weapons were discovered when the box was examined upon arrival Wednesday on an Egypt Air flight from New York’s JFK International Airport in Cairo.

A police official confirmed the man was under investigation by prosecutors.

The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.