12 detained passengers of NW Airlines are Indians: Govt

New Delhi, Aug 24 (UNI) All the 12 people who were detained in Amsterdam following a mid-air terror alert on a US airliner yesterday, were born in Mumbai, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said today.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr Sharma said the government had procured the names of all the 12 people and it was found that they were all born in Mumbai. ''They all had Mumbai addresses.'' However, it could not be immediately confirmed how many were Indian nationals and held Indian passports.

The Minister said the Indian embassy in Amsterdam had been provided consular access to the detained people by the government there.

The 12 Indians were detained for questioning by the Dutch Police after they behaved suspiciously on a US Northwest Airlines flight No NW0042 which was carrying 149 passengers and was bound for India. The passengers were exchanging mobile phones which made the crew and the Marshals suspicious.

It was forced to return to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport following the terror alert.

Two Dutch fighter jets escorted the plane back to Schiphol after it entered Dutch airspace. After the plane landed, the 12 people were detained for questioning.

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