Security errors allowed woman on terrorist wanted list to enter the UK

Airline Industry Information, Feb 11, 2005

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2005 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

A series of security errors allowed a suspected suicide bomber to walk through London's Heathrow Airport in February 2004.

The woman managed to enter the UK despite the fact that she was on a terrorist wanted list and had been marked as a terror threat by the security services, the Evening Standard reported. Yetunde Olaitan reportedly flew into Heathrow on a direct flight from Lagos, Nigeria, but although she should have been stopped at passport control she was allowed to enter the country. The woman had apparently been granted a temporary visa in Nigeria, but was identified as a possible suicide bomber by a security services inquiry. She travelled under her own name and went through passport control, the newspaper said.

After the woman was tracked down and questioned by Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist squad, it was found that the original information had been flawed and that she was no threat.

((Comments on this story may be sent to aii.feedback@m2.com))